


In Between

by akitokihojo



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Crime, F/M, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, inukag - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-01-06 09:03:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 89,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18385271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akitokihojo/pseuds/akitokihojo
Summary: Each step, each breath, each smile and tear was unknowingly documented. Cameras were watching, culprits were laughing, a wild game was ensuing, so who could Kagome trust? Certainly not the well-armed, ex-friend, pigheaded detective, Inuyasha. No thanks. But when questions go unanswered and chaos flares, how will she fend? She's not the only victim in this equation.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was strongly inspired by Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!

**SVU Precinct**

"Inuyasha!" The old captain shouted, half of his body peeking out from the doorway of his office. "I need you in here. Now."

The detective glanced up from the file he was reading to see his chief's hand in the air, beckoning him in, the hard expression on his face warning him that he may be about to get the ass chewing of a lifetime. His partner cocked an eyebrow, sitting at the desk directly across from him, as if to ask what he'd done this time, but Inuyasha ignored it, letting out a rugged sigh as he closed the light blue folder, shoved it in his desk drawer, and headed toward the dimly-lit office.

The door was shut behind him. Captain Totosai remained silent until he got to his side of the large, wooden desk, documents yet to be signed sprawled over every inch of the top. Inuyasha stood behind one the available seats, waiting. He hadn't been out on a case in a couple of weeks. Things had been a little slow; a blessing and a curse. Less crime for his department meant more desk duty for the detectives in the Special Victims Unit. How could he have fucked something up if he was practically sitting there at his desk like a secretary?

"Something was just delivered for you." He said flatly, handing him a large, unopened manilla envelope.

Inuyasha eyed it suspiciously, cautiously taking it from the captain's hands. It was light, the contents inside resembling a thick stack of paper. He analyzed his own name written across the front in thick, broken, red letters, looking something similar to lipstick.

"Who -uh... What is this? I don't understand." The half demon said, eyebrows furrowed in a deep crease as his eyes met the captain's once more. Totosai brought an opened Fedex envelope into view, the unofficial and unprofessional label addressing it to the SVU department with no return address, typed in comic sans font and taped to the front like they didn't even _try_ to make it passable. It was a fucking joke, and he could suddenly understand the palpable tension in the captain's eyes. They'd seen things like this, usually delivered to victims and not police stations, but all the same, it never meant anything good.

"Open it, Inuyasha." He commanded, his voice level but stern. The detective did as he was told, pinching the small, metal tabs together and opening the top. He reached in, gripping the stack and pulling it out, his stomach dropping violently to the floor as his eyes fell on the black and white portrait of a girl smiling in the window of a coffee shop. He dropped the envelope on the desk, quickly flipping the top photo to the back of the stack and studying the next. It was the same girl, washing her dishes, the photo zoomed in and taken at a higher angle through her window. He flipped to the next. The girl looked sad, distracted, staring at her cellphone at a crosswalk. Inuyasha's fingers began to shake, fumbling over the corner as he tried to flip to the next. She was sitting with some friends at a restaurant, drink in hand, a small smile highlighting her features. His heart was pounding in his ears as he flipped, dropping that one on the face of the desk, too distracted to care. She was laughing with her little brother. The next she was saying goodbye to someone. The next she was petting her neighbor's cat that had traveled over to the edge of the balcony of her place. The next she was grocery shopping. At a yoga class. Leaving a store with a smoothie. Watching TV on her living room couch, shot through another opened window, dressed down in a large, black shirt and her underwear. Kneeling to speak to a couple of little girls on the playground, the image blurred slightly by the chainlink fence. The final photo caused a sickening feeling to creep up his esophagus, the taste of bile lingering in the back of his throat. She was asleep in her bed, the comforter only covering half of her body as she slept on her side, one of her legs resting on top. She wasn't wearing pants, a t-shirt he'd been missing for a long time riding up her body to reveal most of her waist. There was writing at the bottom of the matte-printed picture, scrawled in the same, red, lipstick as the envelope saying, _SHE'S NEXT!_

"What the fuck!?" Inuyasha barked, dropping the pile onto Totosai's desk as if holding it any longer would burn the calloused pads of his fingers. They were in her apartment, watching her sleep and god knows what the fuck else. What if something had happened to her?

"Who is this, Inuyasha?" The captain asked, interrupting his thoughts, spreading each picture out in front of him to properly analyze.

"She's - _Jesus Christ-_ She's an old friend! Who the fuck sent these!?" Inuyasha snatched up the Fedex envelope, inhaling the lingering scents of its many recent handlers, nothing coming off as familiar in the least, aside from the officer who delivered it. He studied the thing closely, hoping some sort of clue would jump out into plain view. "Who delivered this?" He asked again.

"I'm having the security cameras examined already. It was left at the front and officer Ginta brought it to me just a few minutes ago. What's the girl's name?"

Inuyasha hesitated, every nerve ending in his body engulfed in flames. His ember eyes looked down at the photos, staring intently at the one of her with her friends, dark hair spilling over her shoulders and out of view from the camera shot. Fear crept over and absorbed his mind for the first time in so long. He wasn't the type that scared easily. In his line of work, and as long as he'd been in it, he'd seen some shit. It took a lot to jostle him, yet here he was, bouncing from foot-to-foot, itching to run out of here and catch up with whomever dropped off the package, stuck staring down at a face he never thought he'd see again. "Kagome Higurashi."

**Kagome's Residence**

She sat at her small, circular table, the photos laid out in front of her, terrorizing her every thought. She couldn't look away, but continuing to stare at them had her entire body riddled with anxiety. She knew almost every date stamp of the pictures. She'd last seen her family about a month and a half ago; the picture where she was laughing with her brother was when he was telling her about some of his ongoing high school experiences. She'd gone out with her friends this last weekend. She'd _just_ gotten those new yoga pants she was pictured in, and she wore them to Wednesday's class. And the image where she was staring at her phone, about ready to cry on the sidewalk across the street from the preschool she worked for... that was when she was dealing with a broken heart. Three months ago.

The knock on her door caused her to jump in her seat, the wooden legs rocking back and forth under the shift in her weight, snapping her out of her reverie, a chill running down her spine as her chest restricted.

"Kagome, open the door." A deep, muffled voice spoke. Slowly, she stood from her chair, stopping a few feet from the entrance, crossing her arms in a meager attempt to shield herself.

"Who is it?"

"It's me."

Kagome grimaced, trying to decipher the voice. Normally, people gave a name to work with. Who had she had over enough to think she'd recognize their... A searing rush coursed through her as the realization came forward, causing a thick lump to form in her throat, the weight of lead sinking into her abdomen. Quickly, she put her eye to the peephole, spotting the silver bangs and twitching, white ear atop his head, and that was all she needed to undo the chain, unlock the bolt and knob, and crack the door open, an entirely different emotion overturning her facial features.

"You've got a lot of nerve, Inuyasha." She fired, her scowl piercing him through. He flinched, lips pressed in a tight line and eyebrows raised high, not expecting that sort of welcome. In truth, he hadn't known what, _exactly,_ to expect. Surely, not a gleeful hello after not speaking for as long as they'd gone, but definitely not what he'd just received. "I'm busy. What do you want?"

"Can we come in? We need to talk. Believe me, I wouldn't have come if it wasn't important." That was a lie. He'd have shown up at the drop of a random _come here_ text, no prior context needed.

Kagome noticed the man at Inuyasha's side, an amused smirk on his face. He held his badge out for her to see, letting her know he was an officer; presumably in the same precinct as the half demon before her. She stepped back, opening the door wider for them to enter her living room. Inuyasha took the liberty of shutting the door for her, his eyes darting from one end of her apartment to the other.

Immediately, he caught the _very faint_ scent of something dangerous. Unfamiliar, but unsettling. His partner must have caught it too, his blue eyes colliding with Inuyasha's, nodding minutely enough that Kagome wouldn't notice. He fought the urge to search through her apartment to see if the offending smell was stronger in any other room, glancing back at the girl not five feet away, arms tucked beneath the other as she held onto the sides of her old, baggy sweater. Her dark hair was tied up in a messy bun, loose waves springing free from the hair band and curving around her jaw bone. Her brown eyes shifted between the two guys, the discomfort evident on her face as she worried her bottom lip with her teeth. Every corner of the living area was dark, shadowed; all curtains and blinds closed tight. Stepping in further, he noted the normally curtain-less window above her sink draped in a dark sheet, wrapped around as many times as necessary to fit the small window properly.

"Miss Higurashi, was it?" His partner asked, stepping in with his hand held out. He was pretty good at easing any tension, especially when it came to women- one of the many reasons he made a valuable teammate to the ever-abrasive Inuyasha. "My name's Koga. I hope you don't mind us stopping by unannounced. There's no other way to put this, really, but we think you may be in some danger. Have you happened to notice anything strange taking place recently?"

"How did you know?" She asked skeptically, hugging herself tighter and not looking away from Koga. "I _just_ got the pictures this morning."

"You got pictures?" It made sense to Inuyasha now; why Kagome was looking so sloppy compared to her normal, cleaned-up look, and why her apartment was as dark as possible in the middle of a bright day. It was a common way for victims to respond when their privacy was infringed upon. It was their own way of sheltering themselves.

Kagome turned her attention to the small dining table near the wall, black and white photos decorating the table top, a manilla envelope thrown carelessly to the floor beneath it. Inuyasha didn't waste any time, crossing the room to look through the photos spread out before him. They were all the same as the chunk he'd received. Aside from one. One that he desperately wished she didn't have to know about.

"Seriously, though, how did you know?" She repeated. He turned around, ignoring the ache in his stomach as he slowly reached into his inner coat pocket, pulling out his own gifted manilla envelope. He watched her jaw flex as she clenched her teeth together, her lips twitching downward in an immediate, disapproving response. Her arms drooped to wrap around her belly, eyeing the envelope in his hands like it was the most repugnant and vile object she'd ever seen. He hadn't even opened it to reveal its contents. It wasn't necessary for her to understand what was inside.

"Give it to me." Her voice was small, fragile. Kagome held her trembling hand out to Inuyasha, waiting for him to pass his envelope over. He hesitated, almost withdrawing, having to take a moment to swallow his blinding need to protect her. She needed to see these, that's why he'd brought them. Finally, he slipped the package into her open palm, hearing the paper slide against her fingers as clearly as nails on a chalkboard.

Kagome stared at the front, her face paling as she read the half demon's name in big, red letters. "Wh-what is this? Lipstick?"

Inuyasha clenched his fists at his side, his sharp nails biting into the thick flesh. For as long as he'd known Kagome he'd never once seen her so scared or anxious. This wasn't the first time, by a long shot, that he'd witnessed someone addressing the idea of having a stalker, abuser, or assailant of any degree, but it was the first time he'd ever seen _that_ look on Kagome's face, and _god_ did he wish he had the power to wipe it off. It was the first time someone he'd known was on the other end of this sort of ordeal, and as shitty as it was for him to think this way, he wished it was _anyone_ but her.

She opened the tab, reaching in to pull out the stack of photos, and as she gazed at the one on top, the shift in her shoulders and the sigh she released from her nose told him she was slightly relieved it wasn't any different than what she'd already received. "But why were these sent to you?"

Inuyasha didn't have an answer for her. He had no fucking idea and had been trying to figure that out since the moment the damned thing was placed in his hands. Why would a stalker want his presence to be known? Sure, maybe the culprit got their rocks off on their victim's fear, but why in hell would they turn their photos into the authorities? More concerning, why would they specifically want _him_ involved in this wild goose chase?

Kagome was getting ready to put the pictures back into the envelope, having not bothered to flip through them. It was perfectly understandable that she'd assume they were all the same, and they were. But she was missing one. Even Koga's discomfort seemed to noticeably skyrocket, awkwardly looking down at the floor as Inuyasha opened his mouth to stop her. As terrified as he knew she'd be, she needed to see it. She had the right to know.

"Kagome..." He stepped closer, holding his hands out cautiously in a way to stop her. "There's uh... at the back. Look at it."

Just holding the pictures had her stomach feeling weak, like she could throw up any second. The look on the half demon's face now had an unnerving sensation spilling throughout her neck and chest, making it difficult to swallow back the sickening feeling. It was hard to look away from his deep, worried, honey eyes to gaze back down to the pictures she'd already decided she never wanted to see again. It was even harder to glide her nail between the very last picture in the stack, clasp it between two fingers, and pull it to the front, knowing just from the expression on Inuyasha's face that things were about to get so much worse.

Kagome dropped the entire stack to the floor, the image of her sleeping, exposed, vulnerable, and victimized burning her hands like the acidic chemicals on the matte sheet weren't properly cleaned off. She gasped so hard she nearly choked, covering her mouth as she coughed with one hand while holding her churning stomach with the other, backing away, unable to tear her eyes from the red words. Inuyasha was at her side in an instant, hands on her shoulders to flip her around where it was impossible to turn her head to stare at the threat, demanding all of her focus.

"What does that mean, Inuyasha?" She asked, doing exactly as he expected, twisting in his hold to try and see the photo. He wouldn't let her go, his grasp on her firm, silently signaling for his partner to clean the mess up. "I'm _next?_ I'm next for what?! Who the hell says something like that?!"

"You need to calm down, Kagome!"

"Calm down?!" Kagome echoed incredulously, a small laugh at the tale end of it. "How the hell am I supposed to be calm right now?"

"Kagome-"

"No, Inuyasha, I can't -I don't... What am I _next_ for?" Her voice broke as her will to argue died away, cheeks becoming uncomfortably moist for how cold she felt.

"We don't know." Koga spoke, coming into view with two thick manilla envelopes in his hand. Kagome turned around, Inuyasha's grip on her easing, noticing her dining table and carpeted floor cleaned of all pictures. He tucked both envelopes into the deep pockets within his jacket, the gesture, alone, making Kagome feel a bit better. "That's why we came. We need to know if you've noticed any sort of suspicious activity."

It wasn't the first time she'd thought of that. The moment she saw her own set of photos taped to her door this morning, the same question popped into her mind. The thing was, she hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary, and it was bugging her that she must not have been paying close enough attention. It could have been happening right before her eyes, and she never noticed. With how close some of those pictures were taken, that's exactly what was happening. Kagome shook her head, shrugging out of whatever was left of Inuyasha's grip to give Koga her attention. "No, nothing."

"Anyone following you?"

"Not that I've seen."

"Is this the first abnormal occurrence?"

She hesitated that time. Inuyasha heard the hitch in her breath perfectly. Kagome's brows were furrowed together as she thought of something, dark eyes staring at the floor beneath Koga's feet, lips parted and pursed like she was preparing to say something. Color was finally returning to her cheeks, a rush of pink spilling over like her fever had finally broken. Her brown eyes traveled up his partner's body, finally meeting his stare and shaking her head. "No."

"What?" Inuyasha asked.

"I mean, it's probably entirely unrelated, but I've been getting strange calls from unknown numbers for a little over a month now. I ignore most of them, but when I answer all I hear is breathing and maybe... I don't know, mumbling? They never say anything comprehensible." Kagome said, walking over to the coffee table stationed in front of the couch and grabbing her cellphone. She opened up her recent calls and handed her phone to the dark-haired detective. "They don't call very often, but I've still learned to recognize the three numbers to ignore. Sometimes I don't catch myself and answer by accident, but it's always the same thing. Like I said, though, it could be nothing."

"What are the numbers?" Koga asked, handing the cell to Inuyasha and pulling out a small notepad and pen from his pocket.

"The most recent numbers in red. All three of them called yesterday, which doesn't usually happen, but the most frequently used phone number is the one ending in _two-two-seven-nine."_ She watched Koga scribble the three sets of numbers on his paper, nodding when he'd gotten the last one so Inuyasha could hand the phone back to Kagome.

"Have there been any signs of forced entry, like a busted window or broken-in door?"Koga asked.

"No, not at all." She shook her head.

"Okay, does anyone have a key to your apartment?"

"No."

"No one?"

"No one."

"By chance, do you sleep with your windows open?"

"No, she never does that." Inuyasha answered for her, looking a little too casual for Kagome's liking. She couldn't help the skeptical look she shot him in reaction, rolling her eyes as she turned her attention back to Koga. She appreciated that he seemed to ignore the tension that suddenly stiffened the air. Instead, he gave her a knowing smile, shrugging his brows.

"So, what happens now?" Kagome asked, moving passed it.

"We continue to investigate. He claims you're next, and no matter what that pertains to, it means there was a prior victim. We need to figure out just how dangerous this guy is, and the best way to do that is to find out who he's targeted before you. One last question: have you made any enemies recently?"

"I don't think so?" She asked more than stated. "I've never really had an enemy before. I mean, I'm not perfect, but I don't actively _try_ to get on a person's bad side."

"I can believe that."

"Okay, but what about work? I can still go to work, right?"

"Continue on with your day-to-day life, Kagome." Inuyasha answered, crossing his arms over his chest. "Just make sure you're as safe as possible. Lock your windows and door, and carry a key between your fingers. If you can, note anything weird around you that could help us figure out who the guy is. I'm pretty sure he want's to play this game like he's The Riddler and make himself and his goal as hard as possible for us to figure out, but my guess is he's arrogant and sloppy."

"Here's my contact information if you need anything." Koga said, slipping a small business card from his front coat pocket and handing it over. "And I'm sure you've got Inuyasha's. If anything happens at all, don't hesitate to contact either of us."

"Oh, uh..." Kagome's expression twisted in an unpleasant manner, her eyebrows raising as she pressed her lips into a tight line. "I must have lost that somewhere."

"Are you- are you kidding me?" Inuyasha tensed from the punch he just took to the gut. "How do you _lose_ a number that was saved in your phone?"

Kagome shrugged in response, small traces of discomfort disappearing as the corners of her lips curved upward in the smallest smile.

"How fucking rude!" He ripped a card of his own out of his coat pocket, snatched Koga's pen from his hand, and scribbled his personal cellphone number below his work cell, holding the finished product out for her to take. "Here! Keep it this time, Kagome. I'm serious."

"Okay. Alright." She responded, plucking the card from Inuyasha's outstretched hand. "How long do you think it's gonna take to catch this guy?"

"It's hard to say." Inuyasha replied, his tone changing dramatically. "Stalkers are something else, Kagome. First, we have to get a lead, so it's impossible to give you a timeframe. Look, if it makes you feel any better, I'll park my car outside tonight and keep watch."

"Oh, no thats not necessary." Kagome shook her head, trying to brush his offer away as politely as possible. The last think she needed at a time like this was Inuyasha hanging around all night. Or Inuyasha hanging around at all.

"It's fine, I don't mind."

"No, really. Don't worry about it." She said more sternly that time.

"Kagome, more often than not, victims of this sort of thing end up sleeping better knowing there's an officer outside minding the front doors. While it's just an offer, it's an offer I highly recommend you take up." Koga added.

"Okay, well then can _you_ do it?" Kagome cocked a brow, sensing Inuyasha's immediate change in body language, the protective nature he carried about him dwindling away and becoming an air of shock and muffled betrayal. Kagome didn't falter though. She held her ground, her lips pursed in defiance as she gave Koga a hard look, waiting for a response.

"Me?"

"Or literally anybody else?"

"I'm sure we can arrange something." Koga said stiffly, clearing his throat. "No matter what, someone will be parked downstairs tonight."

Inuyasha could sense the ugly smile on his partner's face as they drove back to the precinct in silence. It had grown wider and wider since the moment they'd left Kagome's place, little puffs of air leaving his nose in what sounded like bit-back laughing, and he was damn near ready to snap. While his partner was great on the field, he seemed to balance that out by being an asshat in private, and Inuyasha wished the wolf had a better sense of casualty and dropping shit.

"Dude..." Here we go. "What'd you do?"

"Don't fucking start with me." Inuyasha groaned, rolling his eyes and getting over to the left turn lane, the quick click of the blinker not nearly sufficient enough to drown out the douchebag next to him.

"I mean, I knew you had history with the chick, and even if I wasn't briefed beforehand, _man_ was it obvious enough to piece together, but-"

"Shut up."

"She deleted your number!" He snorted, slapping his hand against his thigh like he'd just said the punchline of a joke. "She _deleted_ your number! What the hell did you do?"

"Will you fucking drop it?"

"Alright, alright. Don't get mad at me, I'm not the one that blocked you. Anyway, do you think this will actually turn into a case?" The wolf demon asked.

"As far as I'm concerned, it already is one."

"Look, I know you feel personally involved in the matter, but if we can't figure out who the guy is, who the previous victim or _victims_ are, and don't have any actual way to tie it to the SVU department, it's not our problem."

"The pictures were sent to _me_. He wanted my attention for a reason, and whether the captain takes the case or not, I'm figuring this shit out. _Before_ Kagome gets hurt."

"I don't know why you're so concerned. From what I gathered, that girl's more than capable of taking care of herself. It's easy to see why you like her so much." Inuyasha gave a warning snarl in response, the message to end his talk of her coming off perfectly clear. Koga chuckled, never once taking Inuyasha's threats seriously, continuing on. "Anyway, in case you've forgotten, you're a part of this department. If chief says no, you can't touch it. _Especially_ since it's so close to being a conflict of interest. I'm surprised he even let you come down here today. Second, that scent could have belonged to literally anyone."

"You know, as well as I do, that it was a demon."

"And Kagome doesn't associate with demons?"

" _Bad_ demon, dumb ass. It's like milk. When you first buy milk it smells fine, but when it's passed its expiration date it smells rancid. That's not the scent of someone that you invite into your place; that's the scent of someone that invited themselves in."

"Demons compared to sour milk... Hm, good one. Too bad our supernatural senses have never been enough to prove shit to a jury. I'm sure Kagura will happily remind you of that."

"Nonetheless, I'm involved in this puzzle one way or another. I can't be pulled." Inuyasha remarked, turning into the parking garage.

"Look, I don't want to burst your bubble, but you can easily be pulled. The best way to prevent that is to work as quickly as possible in finding out what kind of damage this guy's done."

The two of them marched inside, met by the mildly busy office of their department. Totosai was briefing the other two lead detectives on something in front of the whiteboard at the head of their clumps of desks as Koga pulled the two thick, manilla envelopes from his jacket and dropped them aggressively on his tabletop, catching everyone's undivided attention.

"Yo. We've got a sick and horribly confusing pervert on our hands. What are you guys up to?" He asked all-too casually, a smile plastered on his face.

"Actually, we were just discussing your pervert before you unnecessarily interrupted." Sango gestured up to the board, very few notes jotted down the left side in black marker. "What'd the girl give you?"

"Not much." Koga answered. "She got the same packet of pictures this morning, so she's only been aware of her stalker for about as long as we have. But she _has_ been receiving strange calls for the last, what did she say, month and a half?"

"Yeah."

"So, we jotted the numbers down and we can see about tracing them back to an owner."

"Numbers? Multiple? Those could just be solicitors." Sango said.

"She said they never talk; all she's ever heard on the other line is a mouth breather and talking she can never make out."

"So, clarify something for us, Inuyasha." Hojo spoke, half-sitting on his own desk. "How are you mixed up in this mess? This girl's your ex, right?"

"No." Inuyasha said defensively. "She's an old friend."

"That deleted his number."

"That was no longer my friend for a while, so what?" The half demon shot his partner a look of warning.

"Okay, but what _kind_ of relationship did you and Miss Higurashi have?" Hojo asked, cocking a brow.

"A friendly one?" Inuyasha asked more than stated.

"Doubtful." Koga remarked.

"Seriously, Inuyasha, we're trying to figure out if he's possibly targeting you too. I mean, why would he deliberately send you _,_ a detective, evidence of stalking? And if you _are_ the target, why would he specifically choose to go after a friend of yours? If he's trying to get you where it hurts, why not go after a family member?" Sango added.

"Inuyasha, answer the question. Unless we get something substantial to work with, the case could slip from our hands and wash out. Even the security footage of the drop off this morning was a dud. This guy managed to wear the most suspicious clothing, a ski mask and a hoodie, to a police station and walked away without being noticed. So, what's your relationship with Kagome, and have you made any recent enemies that you know of?" The captain chimed in, his unreadable expression drifting to the nearly-blank list written next to him.

Inuyasha could feel the myriad of expressions flow on his own face, ranging from perplexed, to shocked, and landing on _what the fuck?_ He groaned loudly, finding that to be the only suitable, verbal response to the fact that a walking red flag wasn't noticed at a fucking police station, moving forward to answer Totosai's questions. "I'm gonna be honest, none of the people I arrest usually want to be my friend when I'm done with them. And, if you must know, Kagome and I have a... _complicated_ history."

"Oh, do tell." Koga smirked, leaning on the side of his desk as he got comfortable.

Inuyasha groaned, massaging his forehead as all eyes bore into him. He hated unnecessary attention, and he definitely hated having his laundry aired out to dry. He knew it was for the case, and therefore necessary, but he never expected to be on this end of the interrogation. It was Kagome that was in danger, not him. He was most likely sent the pictures because the stalker probably saw them together months ago. Bring in the knowledge that he's a detective, because surely a stalker could figure that much out, and the suspect was probably dumb enough to think he's just the right amount of cunning that can get away with anything. No other possible explanation made sense. Inuyasha had an eighty-percent success rate when it came to getting culprits off the streets. Any sort of enemy he'd made was behind bars, or somehow related to someone he'd put behind bars. While it was perfectly plausible for someone to specifically target him, the chances of that happening were very slim because by putting the bastards in prison, he'd made a clear point that he wasn't the one to fuck with. Inuyasha wasn't the victim type. He was the formidable protector, thus the reason he'd become a cop in the first place. He hated admitting Kagome had gotten the short end of the stick, but it was more reasonable to admit that his relation was more on the sidelines than in the spotlight. "I've known her for about six years now. She was one of my closest friends for the longest time. Our relationship... I don't know, changed I guess after my ex-girlfriend left."

"Care to elaborate?" Totosai asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I don't understand how this is fucking relevant!"

"Because if we can tie down your relationship, _maybe_ we can understand why the stalker wanted to include you on his invitation list." Hojo answered matter-of-factly.

"Fine, we grew closer. We started sleeping together. Happy? Have you figured out the mystery yet?"

"Ah, so when you said she was your friend, you meant a friend with benefits?" Koga implored, the amusement heard perfectly in his tone.

"If that's the term for it, then yes. It was nothing more than that, though. We had a big fallout and haven't spoken in months." Inuyasha confirmed, plopping down in his seat.

"Still, maybe the culprit saw you two together while it was going on and figured you were a little more. You said you were friends first, partners later. It's easy to misread a relationship like that. If you've got an enemy, he's got outdated information but he's still going for it." Hojo said, rising from his makeshift seat and moving to the whiteboard to grab a dry erase marker.

"Something's still not adding up." Sango mentioned, sighing out as she pushed some hair behind her ears. "Stalkers, at least diligent ones, don't have outdated information."

"So maybe it's not Inuyasha he's targeting." Koga spoke, sounding serious for the first time since this morning.

"Thank you!"

**Tree of Young Ages Preschool Academy**

Inuyasha leaned against the side of his squad car, his hands buried in the sides of his coat and shoulders shrugged upward to utilize the thick collar and cover his exposed neck better. During the winter, he almost felt he was better off leaving his hair down for any sort of added warmth, but too often than not, the long, silver mess got in his way, so he relented to dressing it up in a ponytail to keep as much of it out of his face as possible. He also felt a ten dollar scarf would have paid for itself seventy times over by now, but he just couldn't bring himself to swallow his pride and purchase one. If his own head of hair got in his damn way, a frilly ass scarf definitely would.

He felt restless where he stood, especially as he caught her nearby scent, growing stronger by the second. He shouldn't be here, and he knew it. It was perfectly clear. His pride may be hurt, but still, there was no swallowing the urge to make sure she was alright. It had been three days since the pictures showed up and they were no closer to figuring out a thing. All the questions pointed his way were driving him insane. He needed a break. He needed to see her.

"Kagome." He breathed as she approached the twisted, thin-wired gate in front of the sidewalk he stood on, the name coming out as a visible puff in front of his mouth, dissipating upwards. She turned around, hair whipping over her shoulders at the speed. He hadn't meant to startle her, especially when it was easy to understand she was on edge. As her eyes landed on him, the corners of her lips curved downward, a notable twitch in her brow.

"What are you doing here?" She huffed, walking over to him.

"Here." Inuyasha grabbed the small, disposable coffee cup from the hood of his car, careful to make sure she could grab it by the sleeve.

"What is this, some kind of peace offering?"

"It's a coffee." He answered flatly, rolling his golden eyes. "Would you just take the damn thing?"

Kagome took it, a small thank you brushing from her lips as she held the hot cup between both of her hands. She knew full and well that Inuyasha hated going into any sort of coffee shop, and reminded herself that if anyone else had brought her a coffee, she would have appreciated the gesture to no end. Just because it was _him_ didn't mean she should suddenly be the kind of person to refuse the generosity, especially when it came to a cappuccino in the dead of winter.

"So, what are you doing here?" She repeated after taking a small sip. "Did you figure something out?"

"No. Everything's a dead end so far. No luck with the phone numbers. Chances are, they're burn phones, so the numbers are hard to trace unless they're making calls. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Oh."

"Has anything happened since we last saw you?"

"No. You don't have to check on me, Inuyasha. I would have called you or your partner if I'd noticed anything." Kagome said, shrugging deeper into her coat, her wavy, black hair curving messily about the thick scarf wrapped around her neck.

"Call _me._ Don't worry about calling Koga. I can get to you a lot faster than he can, and take care of everything else."

"Geez, it's not a pissing contest, Inuyasha." She made sure to keep her voice down with the amount of parents and children walking through the open gates behind her. "What happens if you don't answer your phone? Am I allowed to call Koga then?"

"Don't worry about that, I'll answer." He argued, following her lead to control their tones in front of the little kids.

"Well, you're notorious for it."

"Will you let that go?"

"Miss Kagome?" A small voice behind them spoke, his tiny fingers wrapping through the holes in the chain-link fence. "Who's that?"

"He's a police officer, honey. He was just saying hi." Kagome responded, smiling at the little boy as if she wasn't currently bothered in the least. "Why don't you go inside, Shippo? It's freezing out here. I'll be there in a second."

"Can we do arts and crafts today?"

"We can do _extra_ arts and crafts since it's too cold to play outside."

"Okay!"

Kagome watched as the small kit ran to the entry door to her class, his thick windbreaker making it difficult for his arms to rest at his side, making him look something similar to a blue marshmallow running for warmth. As soon as she saw him rush past her teaching assistant, she turned her heated attention back to the half demon.

"Just because I've got someone following me around now doesn't mean you can just show up whenever you want and pretend like nothing happened, Inuyasha. _Nothing's_ changed between you and I, so you don't need to pretend like you care all of a sudden."

"Who's pretending?" He barked, unable to bite back the anger as he was once again wounded by the jab she took. Never once had he stopped caring for her. A lifespan could pass, and he'd still drop everything for Kagome.

She took a deep breath to wane her swelling temper, her brown eyes immediately bouncing away from him to look at literally anything else. She was itching to get away, simultaneously drawn to Inuyasha while equally uncomfortable being near him. She absolutely hated the larger part of her that welcomed the pull. A rush of heat ran through her face, her bottom lip dropping to say a quick and snide remark that could easily drop him down a peg, but resealing against her top lip to swallow. "Thank you for the coffee. I'm fine. I'll let you know if something changes. Have a good day. Goodbye."

He watched her turn on her heel and head through the gate, giving warm hello's to the parents dropping off their children as she got closer to the door of her class. He always found it interesting how Kagome was capable of hiding her feelings in the presence of others. If she didn't want anyone to know she was upset, they never would. When it came to him, though, she was an open book. They'd been close for so long, an immediate connection attracting them to the other; they'd seen the ugly and the beautiful sides of one another. He knew it'd be damn near impossible to cut it off. She was brave enough to embrace things on her own, and more often than she ever should, she would. With him, and very few others, there was no wall. When she'd formed a connection with someone, it was a long-term and subconscious thing. Whether she liked it or not. Money down, she wasn't too fond of this one in particular. He understood her better than she did, herself; that's the truth of what happened between them. They connected on indescribable levels. He knew just how scared she was, how angry she felt, and the anxiety that was keeping her up at night. Inuyasha wanted to step in and ease all of that for her, but it wasn't his place. He fucked his place up months ago, and Kagome was making it next to impossible to rectify anything now that the opportunity had presented itself. Up until a few days ago, he never thought she'd speak to him again, and although the first words from her mouth were damn close to an insult, her voice had revitalized a heat in his chest that he hadn't felt since the moment she blocked him out.

How masochistic was that?

Nothing she said would prevent him from doing his job, though. Nothing would ever stop him from making sure she was safe.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the past couple of days, my world was literally turned upside down. Thankfully, I'm a bit ahead in writing the chapters to this story, but please keep in mind that if I DO happen to fall behind in the near future, I'm just trying to focus on me. I have a lot on my shoulders right now.
> 
> I wanted to thank everyone for their kind feedback on the first chapter of this fic. It means the world. I'm going to TRY to keep posting every weekend, but like I said, I'm currently in a very bad place and need to figure some things out.
> 
> Please continue to be patient and kind.

 

**Kagome's Residence**

Kagome treaded up the stairs as lightly as possible, hoping the clomp of her high heels wouldn't wake any of her neighbors. It wasn't often at all that she stayed out this late, but she figured once in a blue moon wouldn't hurt. It's not like she had anything better to do nowadays.

As soon as she reached her landing, she toed her heels off, taking the back lining of the shoes between her fingers and tip-toeing the rest of the way to her front door. In all honesty, she felt like she was living out the rebellious years she'd neglected to have back in high school, sneaking through the halls while trying not to wake her mother so she wouldn't know she'd ignored curfew. She didn't understand how teenagers managed to keep the act up. Every creek the old floorboards made was overwhelmingly stressful, and Kagome legitimately felt she'd get reprimanded if she was heard. The only reason she was trying so hard to keep quiet was because of her sweet, elderly neighbor. It wouldn't be fair to wake her with a noisy entrance just because Kagome had stayed out later than expected. She was in the clear once she got into her apartment; the halls just tended to act as a cavern of sorts, magnifying incoming footsteps and voices to make them appear ten times louder than they actually were.

Kagome picked out the house key on the keyring in hand as she finally closed the distance to her apartment, stopping dead in her tracks as she noticed her door slightly ajar, the rim floating less than an inch away from the molded frame. It wasn't left like that, she was positive. Kagome distinctly remembered locking it as she left, because she had to give the knob a heavy yank to make sure the bolt properly slid into place. The rainy weather from the week before had caused the door to swell, causing it to be just a little harder than usual to shut. The struggle making the act memorable.

She swallowed thickly, the heavy feeling in her chest making it difficult to take in full breaths of air. It was common sense that she should get down to the lobby as quickly as possible and call the police, but the thought that someone had broken into her apartment while she was out, and could possibly be rummaging through her belongings at this very moment had her moving forward. Kagome pushed the front door open as slowly as she could so as to avoid any creaks from the heavy slab of wood, her eyes wandering over every inch of the shadowed living room, squinting in hopes that her pupils would dilate faster to make out her surroundings better. Everything went silent. Like she was entering an empty vortex, all noise sucked away aside from the eerie ringing suddenly filling her ears.

The moonlight shining through her curtain-less windows at the opposite end of the room stretched over to softly touch a portion of her overturned furniture. She ignored the splintering spike of fear that threatened to paralyze her where she stood. Although the light from the night sky was dim, it didn't take much imagination to figure out the current state of her apartment. Stepping through as carefully as possible, she gently set her purse and one of her shoes down on the carpet, turning her other shoe around in her hand to use the heel as a makeshift weapon until she could grab something better. Kagome toed her way through the living area, treading lightly to avoid tripping, listening intently for any noises that may come from a different room. It almost hurt how powerfully her heart pounded against her ribcage as her eyes coursed back and forth over the room to find anything that shouldn't be there, terrified to see exactly what she anticipated. Her wrecked surroundings made it so much worse, everything looking like it didn't belong.

She had decided not to turn any lights on just yet. If someone was in her apartment, if someone was hiding away in her bedroom or bathroom, she didn't want to attract them her way. She wanted to corner them; trap them. Could she take them? Probably not. Was she going to try? Absolutely.

As she traveled deeper, she made a left, entering the open kitchen area, her peripherals trained on the living room through the cutout in the wall. Every drawer was open, some stretching out far enough to sag. Kagome tried to will her body to calm down a bit, ducking beneath the cover of the counters and opened drawers for a brief moment, forcing deep breaths in and out of her trembling lungs. Her palm was sweating profusely against her high heel. She knew a shoe wouldn't fend off anyone for long, or at all; it was a _very_ temporary fix. Each exhale grounded her more and more as she counted to three and forced herself to stand, keeping a slight hunch to carefully peek through the bar to make sure nothing had changed in the living room first, and then standing as tall as she could, almost to seem bigger than she actually was. What else could she do as a five-foot-two woman? Surely, she didn't appear intimidating, but if she played it off like she believed she was, maybe that fake confidence would become real. Kagome moved to the counter with the block of kitchen knives that, in her mind, glowed like an object in a video game telling her exactly where to go, finally allowing herself to let go of her cheap shoe. She rubbed her hands along the sides of her dress to dry them off as best as she could before opting for the largest knife in the set, making sure she had the best grip possible on the black handle before trudging forward.

Stepping as softly as possible, she traveled back out into the living room, trying not to allow the small amount of light seeping through to disrupt the adjustment her eyes had achieved. She managed to reach her bedroom after maneuvering around the misplaced couch cushions, pillows, sweaters, and miscellaneous decor, her feet only fumbling slightly here and there. Stopping briefly, Kagome prepped herself before stepping through the open door, taking a few more deep, stabilizing breaths to brace for whatever or whoever she'd find once she turned on the light.

She wasn't ready. There was no amount of breathing a person could do to steel themselves against a frightening subject they were entirely unfamiliar with. She wasn't trained in any type of defense, nor was she some sort of adrenaline junkie. She was a preschool teacher, and the scariest thing she'd ever had to deal with up until now was tiny children falling off things they shouldn't be on, or hitting their heads on things they shouldn't be near. Kagome just wasn't the type to run away, which was proving to be more of a curse than a blessing this time around. Since when did she consider the logical thing to do was fight off an intruder, herself? Maybe she was more of an adrenaline junkie than she thought. Even so, she wasn't going to travel _this_ deep into her disheveled apartment only to back out now. No, this was her home. Whoever had the gall to target her was going to regret it.

Kagome tightened her grip on the handle of her kitchen blade as her freehand curved around the frame of the doorway to find the light switch, applying almost too much pressure to the plastic in the midst of her swirling anxiety. As the warm light flooded the crevices of her bedroom from overhead, she took in the surrounding mess, chills spreading over every inch of her skin. Pictures were overturned where they once stood. The contents of her dresser drawers were completely unloaded, clothes littering the carpet. Her closet door was thrown open, most of her dresses off their hangers. Small shoe boxes she'd used to store little knickknacks were opened and emptied on the floor, like the madman was either looking for something or making some sort of indecipherable statement.

But the most unsettling thing of all, the most disturbing and unnerving aspect of her destroyed bedroom, was the fact that her bed was perfectly made, not a crease in sight. Kagome neglected to make her bed today, as she did most days, and even when she bothered to do the chore, she wasn't so neat with it. The floral comforter was nicely spread over the thin, baby pink blanket beneath, folded over just below where her fluffed pillows sat so she wouldn't have to reach beneath them to climb in. It was smoothed over, and pressed into the frame, looking similar to a model bed you'd see in Ikea _._ On top and in two perfectly aligned rows sat a group of small, black and white polaroids, words written on the tabbed ends of each- illegible from where she stood.

As Kagome inched closer, her fingers found their way over her lips, covering her mouth completely in a way to fend off the disturbance she felt, looking over each clear photo. A few were just of her, some were just of Inuyasha, and the rest were of them together- smiling, laughing, kissing, touching in any way they possibly could. She remembered her fingers mindlessly floating to any part of his body that was available, his energy like a magnet to her, drawing her in and pulling her deeper. Every single one of those polaroids displayed how desperate to touch him she always seemed, her own features noticeably more serene in comparison to the polaroids of her alone. Those three were taken in the coffee shop she frequents. There was one of her at the counter ordering, one of her standing to the side as she waited, and another of her leaving with a sleeved cup in hand, taken from _inside_. He had been that close to her and she somehow hadn't even noticed a camera pointed her way.

_THE LONGER HE TAKES TO FIGURE ME OUT_

_THE MORE DANGER YOU'RE IN_

The statement was in that same, red, smudged lipstick Inuyasha's name had been written in, a single word painted at the bottom of each, individual polaroid.

Surprisingly, what was twisting her core more than anything- more than having her house ripped apart, the distressing and repeated violation of privacy, and the clear, distasteful threat, was seeing the images of Inuyasha. It never made sense why a packet of photos were specifically delivered to him _._ She could have, and should have, pieced together that he must have been followed as well. Kagome had been so concerned about herself and her own situation, that she never even considered the idea that he was more involved than mere coincidence would put it.

This guy knew Inuyasha. He knew where he lived, who he dated, where he worked, and possibly more. Inuyasha was as much a victim of this as she was. And she _hated_ that.

Kagome backed away from the scene in front of her, suddenly feeling like the air in the room was too dense to breathe. The only place she hadn't checked was the bathroom. Quickly and carefully, she made her way around the tipped couch, cautious as she curved around the coffee table, the light sparse in that area. She turned on the switch as she entered the small doorway, the muscles of her chest constricting painfully as she looked at the message written on the large mirror before her.

_SEE YOU SOON_

**Inuyasha's Residence**

Inuyasha's hand fumbled over his nightstand, incidentally knocking the ringing cellphone to the floor in his sightless search for it. Cursing under his breath, he reluctantly opened his eyes, dragging his head over to the edge of his mattress to spot the illuminated device. He snagged it before the call would be sent to voicemail, answering and hitting the speaker button without bothering to look at the I.D..

"Yeah?"

"Uh... hi. Sorry for calling so late..." Her voice was feeble, almost a whisper but somehow holding the same exact effect screaming would, shedding all traces of sleep from the half demon's body and scaring him shitless. He sat up straight, grabbing his work cell from the same nightstand and checking the time on the screen. _2:13am._

_"_ What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Kagome answered. He could hear her shallow breaths through the receiver as she paused, each second that passed building more panic in his system. She wasn't fine. "He broke in."

"Who broke..." Inuyasha felt a scorching heat run over his body as the realization hit. "Where are you?!" He jumped out of bed, grabbing his pants off the floor near the corner chair and setting the phone on his dresser, quickly shoving his feet through the leg holes of his jeans.

"At my apartment. Where he broke in."

"Are you hurt?"

"No."

"I'm on my way, Kagome. Wait for me in the lobby."

"I'll just stay-"

"Lobby, Kagome. Now. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Okay." Kagome numbly agreed, standing idly in the middle of her torn living room. "Thanks."

She only managed to make it out to the hallway, slumping along the wall to sit on the floor in between the stairs and her door. There was too much going on in her head, too much to fully comprehend at once. What would have happened if she had been home? Just how long ago did he leave before she showed up? She was angry, frightened, anxious, distraught, and exhausted, the mixture of it all too thick to be contained in her small body, overflowing her mind and muddling her thoughts.

Kagome stretched out her legs, crossing them at the ankles while pulling her white, knitted cardigan to fully cover her torso, shielding herself from the brisk hall and any eyes that may be capable of looking through walls. She didn't even know where to begin when thinking up a possible suspect list; was it a person she and Inuyasha had met together, or someone that knew one of them individually? It wouldn't be crazy to suggest the former option. Inuyasha and Kagome had been friends for years, so it was perfectly plausible that they'd met a lunatic on an outing together. If the latter, though, was it someone that set his eyes on her, found out Inuyasha's occupation in his "research," and decided this would be the best game of cat and mouse of his life? Or was this an enemy Inuyasha had made somewhere throughout his career?

It was surreal that all of this was even happening. Break-in's and cases of stalking were exclusive to crime shows, not Kagome's life. Yet here she was, sitting on the floor just outside of her thrashed apartment, genuinely wondering just how in over her head she was. It was clearly important for her to tread lightly from now on, but to what degree? How dangerous was this guy? Was he someone that got off on another person's fear? A rapist? A murderer? All of the above? What would happen if she was home the next time he decided to waltz into her home like he owned the place, or even showed up to the school she worked at?

At this point in time, she really wished she retained _something_ from the martial arts classes she'd taken when she was ten.

"What the hell does "wait for me in the lobby" mean to you, exactly?" Inuyasha asked hoarsely, tearing Kagome from her deep-rooted thoughts as he quickly approached the top of the stairway, chest heaving. Long, silver and white hair hung loosely down his back, a small bit curving over his shoulders and along the front of his jacket. It was rare that Kagome ever saw him with his hair down. He must have rushed straight over, not even giving himself a moment to tie it back.

She stood as fast as she could, her heart subconsciously aching for the familiar safety he always provided, holding herself back when her first instinct was to lean in for a hug.

"Sorry. I didn't want to go far."

"I figured." He grunted, stopping about a foot away, his eyes subtly drifting down her body to take in the way she was dressed. A black and grey, gradient dress ended just above her knees, black tights adorning her legs, too thick to reveal the shaded, pale flesh they covered. The dress was a comfortable-looking fit, but still just the right amount of tightness to show her curves beneath the cotton. On top, she covered herself with a tightly-knit, thigh length, white cardigan, her hands shoved into the pockets. Her hair was up in a messy ponytail, rogue strands curling around her cheek and jaw bones. This clearly wasn't her usual bedtime attire, and it took more effort than Inuyasha was proud of to ignore the fact that she'd probably been out on a date.

She turned away to face the opened door to her apartment, guiding his sight, the burning lightbulbs within making her mess perfectly visible.

"Were you here when this happened? Did you see him?" Inuyasha asked, golden eyes immediately flying back to her face. He grabbed her chin between his forefinger and thumb, turning her head left and right to look for any marks on her head, cheeks, and neck.

"No, I was out. He was gone by the time I got here. " She said, removing her jaw from his grasp. "Keep your voice down. You'll wake Kaede."

"I'm surprised she managed to sleep through this." He stepped through the doorway, minding the books on the floor. The stench of the intruder immediately wafted into his nose, burning his sinuses. There was no doubt about it. It was the same scent he and Koga had picked up when they'd first visited Kagome, this time strong enough to ring of something horribly familiar, but not sufficient to tell him who the fuck it was. There was no way he'd come across this stench in passing. He knew it from someone. Somewhere. Inuyasha just couldn't figure out _when_. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind, opting to stay silent to refrain from shaking up Kagome even further. "What time did you get home?"

"About ten minutes before I called you." Kagome answered, following him. "He was kind enough to leave the door open for me."

"What do you mean, _ten minutes?"_

_"_ I mean, I called you ten minutes after I got home."

"Why the hell didn't you call me immediately? What, is it normal for your door to be open when you get home at two in the morning!?"

"I needed to make sure he wasn't still in here!"

"And what if he was!?" His temper was spiking. The thought of her willingly walking right into a crime scene alone, walking right into potential danger without a second thought had a blinding heat surging through his veins.

"I had a knife."

"Oh, so you casually carry a knife on you now?"

"No, but I have a set in my kitchen. What's your problem?"

Inuyasha pinched the space between his brow with his fingers, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment as he took in what Kagome had just said. "Let me... Let me get this straight, Kagome. You came into your house unprotected while you had no idea if your stalker was still here _,_ went all the way into the kitchen, and grabbed a _fucking steak knife!?"_

_"_ Actually, the carving knife." She shrugged. "Would you rather I used my high heel to fight him off?"

"You- no... Oh my god!" He blinked incredulously at her, mouth slightly agape. "You're such a fucking idiot! I would have rather you _called me!_ This guy could be dangerous! He could have hurt you!"

"This is _my_ apartment, Inuyasha! It's _my_ home to defend! He broke in and wrecked everything! Am I supposed to just walk away and wait for someone to come save me?"

_"Yes!"_

"No way! I don't have time for that! It's easy for you to say because you're the one with the muscles, and the demon senses, and the gun! You never have to worry about anything, because you can punch your way through bad guys left and right! So what if I don't have any of that! I-don't-care! I've got a really sharp knife and a stubborn will, and this is _my home!_ I'm not gonna wait around for this creep to just disappear! I'll freaking fight him!" Kagome shouted, stomping closer to Inuyasha, her dark eyes piercing him through. The half demon braced his hands out in front of him, shocked by her outrage, his feet glued to the carpet so as not to back away, but fully aware of how far her temper outstretched his own.

"Okay, alright. Calm down, Cujo. I get it. You win." He reasoned after a brief pause, making sure she'd gotten all of it out of her system. He watched her shoulders relax a little, though her glare continued to pin him. He placed a hand on top of her head, fingers sliding through her messy bangs, a simple gesture he'd done since the moment they'd met, glad she didn't move push his palm away as he'd expected. "I've got Koga and additional backup on their way to look around; make sure he didn't place any bugs. Is anything missing?"

"Not that I noticed." She shook her head, the heat of his palm comforting her. "Kind of hard to tell. He left a little gift though."

"What?"

"Bedroom and bathroom."

Inuyasha headed toward her room, pushing aside the mess of clothes with his shoes to clear a small path as he approached the out-of-place and well-made bed. He looked down at the photos, resisting the initial reflex to pick them all up and look them over closely.

The message caught his eyes first, his fingers twitching at his sides before he curled them into fists, sharp claws biting into his palms. Then the photos. Photos of them together. He'd seen them _together_. Witnessed him falling in love. And the asshole was clearly willing to manipulate him with it. He didn't even care about the pictures of himself. He didn't care that he was wrong and he was the target. This guy could stalk him to the ends of the Earth for all he fucking cared. If he wanted a fight, Inuyasha was happy to give one. If this guy harbored a grudge against him, the coward should just seek him out instead of hiding behind a damn camera. Hell, it wouldn't be the first convict he'd pissed off, nor would it be the last. Inuyasha wasn't necessarily known as the "good cop" throughout investigations.

Apparently, the bastard wanted to play dirty though. He was using Kagome as bait to get to him. He, without a doubt, knew the half demon's weakness.

Inuyasha could hear Kagome approaching, her footsteps light over the carpet of the floor. Even though she'd already seen the photos, he didn't want to subject her to them again. Never again. She didn't deserve this. This was his fault, his burden, not hers. He turned around, using his broad frame to block her sight of the pictures, stopping her in her tracks by filling the gap between them, himself. "What's in the bathroom?"

"A promise to see me soon written on the mirror." Kagome said, shrugging dully. Inuyasha inhaled slowly, allowing everything to sink in as he sighed out, gaining his bearings on the situation at hand.

"Kagome, you know I won't let him hurt you, right?"

"You can't control that." She shook her head, a slight pinch in her brow.

"I'm serious."

"I'm sure you are, but-"

"Hello?" A deep voice interrupted, chiming in from the front door.

"In here." Inuyasha answered, gently guiding Kagome by her shoulder out to the living room.

"You okay, Miss Higurashi?" Koga asked, carefully venturing over to them, two people trailing closely behind, their eyes wandering over the damage of her place. The female in back wore a skeptical, yet careful, expression, her mouth curved downward as her brown eyes flew over Kagome and met Inuyasha. Her dark hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail, flowing straight down to about mid back and swinging along with her gait. The gentleman in between the two seemed more placid, his cheeks and the tip of his nose a rosy color from the cold outside. His blue eyes stopped scouring the room as soon as they stopped their approach, landing on Kagome and gifting her with a gentle smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for coming."

"Don't worry about it," He smiled, looking over his shoulder to acknowledge a small group of officers walking through, all of them wearing matching dark blue windbreakers and carrying silver cases, blending into the background to get to work as if the four of them weren't standing in the middle of the living room. "These are detectives Sango and Hojo. They'll be helping us out here. We're just gonna do a fast sweep, okay? We'll be checking for any sort of planted listening devices or cameras he could have placed."

"Do you think he actually did any of that?" She asked, watching as the men quickly set up their equipment and got to searching.

"You can never be too safe." Hojo claimed, casually sweeping the chestnut bangs from his forehead.

"There's polaroids in the bedroom." Inuyasha said flatly. "Have them check for prints. The bastard had to have left _something_ behind."

"Will do. Go ahead and take her outside." Koga said, walking past to enter Kagome's room.

"Outside?" Kagome asked, glancing up at the half demon beside her.

"Interview. Just in the hall. We can't be in the way of all this." Inuyasha gestured to the investigators at work.

Kagome reluctantly followed Inuyasha and the two new detectives out of her apartment, wrapping her sweater tight around her body. She knew everyone here was just trying to help, but she felt violated as it was. The last thing she wanted were _more_ people rummaging through her personal belongings just to analyze the mess this creep had created. She just wanted to move on from it. She wanted to clean her apartment and pretend this whole thing never happened.

"Kagome, what could possibly be going on at this hour?"

She whipped around, barely catching Inuyasha's quick reaction to step beside her. Her elderly neighbor stood at the end of the hall just outside of her opened door, her back hunched over minutely, thin, grey hair falling over one shoulder. She was dressed in a floor-length pajama nighty, staring curiously with her one good eye, the other greyed out from loss of vision.

"I'm so sorry for all the commotion."

"Are you hosting a party, dear? I usually don't mind the noise, but it's been going on for hours. Don't you think it's time to call it a night?"

"Hours? Kaede, I haven't... Wait, did you see whoever showed up?"

"Well, yes. They were bangin' on your door for a minute before you finally opened it. It was hard _not_ to peek out and see who was causing the ruckus." She answered, eyeing the half demon at her side as he got even closer.

"What did he look like?" He asked, almost too quickly.

"What do you mean?"

"Kaede, I didn't throw a party. He, uh... he broke into my apartment while I was out."

"Oh my," Her aged features twisted in perturbation. "A break-in? _Here?"_

"Please, ma'am, you have nothing to worry about. I understand your concern, but it's very rare for a criminal to strike two separate apartments in the same vicinity. Since you saw him, though, could you give us any striking details so that we could potentially identify him?" Hojo asked, pulling out a small notepad and pen.

"He looked like any average, young man. Nothing stuck out very well from my peephole." She answered, shrugging her hunched shoulders.

"What color hair did he have?"

"Black. Maybe dark brown."

"Length?" Hojo began jotting in his notes.

"Short. I'd say just a tad longer than yours."

"What was he wearing?"

"A black sweater. That's all I could see." Kaede answered. "He was fairly tall too. I'm sorry I can't be of more help. I honestly never considered that something could be wrong."

"That's alright," Hojo said, shaking his head. "You've given us more than we had. We'll wrap all of this up as quickly as possible."

There was a flicker of hesitation before Kaede hummed in acknowledgment, slowly turning her aged body around to take her leave, waving over her shoulder to say goodbye while shutting the door behind her. Kagome couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for bringing Kaede into all of this. If she had her way, no one outside of herself and the police would know about the pressing issue. No one else would have to worry about anything indirectly happening to them just because Kagome was being stalked.

Of course, if she had it her way, none of this would be happening at all.

"I wouldn't necessarily say we have more than we started with. She hardly gave us anything." Inuyasha remarked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Short, black hair. I'd say that's definitely more. At least we know not to suspect someone with, oh I don't know, silver hair?"

"Alright, enough." Sango interrupted, holding an authoritative bite in her tone. "Inuyasha, head on inside. Looks like Koga's got something for you to do." She said, nodding in the wolf demon's direction so that Inuyasha would catch the hint. He rolled his eyes, heading in without another word.

Kagome didn't watch him walk away. Instead she kept her eyes on the ground at the detectives' feet, holding onto her opposite elbows as she patiently waited for all of this to be over with.

"First things first, does that description ring a bell for you, Kagome?" Sango asked, her tone dropping a notch, seeming much kinder than when she spoke to Inuyasha just a second ago. Kagome could easily tell she was the type of woman who could be soft when necessary, but also knew how to make a room take her seriously. Even Kagome couldn't help but feel intimidated, simultaneously increasing the respect she automatically had for the woman before her. If she could shut a guy like Inuyasha up that quickly, she was definitely a force to be reckoned with.

"Not really. I mean, it's a pretty generic description."

"No, that's fair. I just wanted to see if anyone immediately came to mind."

Kagome shook her head, standing by her statement.

"Miss Higurashi," Hojo joined, his voice smooth and gentle compared to the two other men he worked with. "For clarification purposes, you weren't home when this all took place, correct?"

"Yeah. I was out. I came home around two and my door was open."

"Where were you?" Sango asked.

"I third-wheeled with a friend and her date to make sure things went well. I'm her buffer for excuses if she's not feeling any chemistry. She promised we'd be done by eleven the latest, but as per usual, that wasn't the case. Kind of glad this time around, though."

"That was nice of you. Do you do that for her often?"

"As of recently, yes. If you're about to ask if I've met any sketchy guys while out with her, the answer is definitely no. She's a lesbian."

"Alright, we'll check that off the list." Hojo chuckled. "Now, have you noticed anyone following you around? Anyone with a camera?"

"No." Kagome shook her head once more, briefly looking down at the floor before swallowing the tepid fear that swelled in her throat. "Even after receiving the pictures, I haven't noticed anyone. Believe me, I've been looking."

"We do. I can only imagine how scary this is."

"You've known Inuyasha for how long now?" Sango asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Oh, uh, maybe six or seven years. Why?"

"He's been an officer for even longer than that. Have you ever encountered the perps he's apprehended?"

"No. Inuyasha's always been really good about keeping his work and personal life separate." While he sometimes vented, he always made sure to keep it as vanilla as possible. She never knew names or faces. She never knew the details of his assignments. There were times when she asked for more from him just so she could rack his brain to help him solve those ongoing cases, but the half demon always refused to give in. He openly explained that the more she knew, the riskier it was and he was never willing to take the chances. Inuyasha was careful. Inuyasha always made sure everyone around him was safe.

"From the looks of it, there are no signs of forced entry whatsoever. I'm watching C.S.U. inspect everything from here, but it seems like all of the windows are closed and locked. Your neighbor says he was banging on your door, and that's easy to dismiss as trying to break it down, but your door is still fully intact. So, clearly, something's not adding up here." Sango crouched closer to the strike plates in the door jamb, seeing that they were hardly knocked out of place, which could also happen with normal wear and tear. "You told Koga and Inuyasha no one else has a key, right?"

"Right." She responded. "Not even my mom has one."

"So, you don't have a spare laying around anywhere?"

"My spare is in my coin purse, inside my actual purse."

"He could have picked the lock." Hojo proposed, tapping the top of his pen against his chin. "Kaede didn't say she _saw_ Kagome let him in. She just heard banging until he got inside."

"Right now, that's the only thing that could make sense. Here," Sango reached into her back pocket, her hip-length winter coat folding upward as she pulled her phone free. Opening up the wallet case, she slid a white card from one of the folds, holding it out for Kagome to take. Hojo followed suit, handing over a card from his jacket pocket. "Take our cards. If you need anything, see anything, or hear anything call us immediately."

Kagome gave a small nod, staying out in the hall as the two detectives walked back inside toward Koga and Inuyasha, her eyes drifting down to the two cards. She stared blankly at their names, a numb feeling flooding through her system. She knew they weren't any closer to figuring this out than they were prior to the break in. She had all four of the detectives' information, and yet felt no safer.

At this point in time, Kagome just wanted everyone out. She wanted to fix her apartment and go to bed. She'd been planning on rearranging her furniture anyway. Really, this was just the motivation she needed to get it done since nothing was in its correct place anymore.

"Dumb question, but you okay?" Inuyasha asked, bringing her focus back to the forefront, his hands shoved deep into his pant pockets.

"Oh," Kagome gave a cheap smile. "Yeah. I'm fine. How much longer?"

"They're wrapping up. No bugs so you're good. They've got their evidence, and I went ahead and cleaned your mirror off. Are you sure you want to stay here tonight, though?"

"Well, I haven't been paying my backup apartment's rent lately, so yeah. I kind of have to." She answered sarcastically.

"Seriously, Kagome, you can stay with me. _Or_ we can get you a hotel room." He said quickly, throwing his hand up to keep her from throwing his first offer in his face, the quick flinch in her features showing him that she was about to if he hadn't caught himself in time. Kagome sighed, shaking her head, watching the unit pack up over Inuyasha's shoulder.

"I'm gonna have to clean this up eventually. Might as well face the music now. Thanks, though."

"We're heading out," Koga said, patting Inuyasha's shoulder as he brushed passed with Sango and Hojo in tow. "Stay safe, Kagome."

They disappeared down the staircase, their footsteps loudly bouncing off the walls, the noise more difficult than ever to think through. The remaining group began dispersing, trickling out of her apartment, their footsteps ringing like a stampede through the narrow cavern.

"Let me help." Inuyasha offered as Kagome pushed passed, reentering her place. It seemed like everything was sinking in too rapidly. She was exhausted and angry and annoyed, and now that she was standing in the middle of her disheveled home, not knowing where to even begin, the emotions were becoming literal colors in front of her eyes. It was impossible to pretend this never happened. It was impossible to _not_ be a victim. Kagome probably seemed so vulnerable to everyone, and she was over it as soon as it had started. Accepting Inuyasha's unnecessary offer would be like agreeing, herself, that she was weak. The last thing she was willing to come off as, at a time like this, was a damsel in distress. It wasn't like she never took help from others. When help was needed, Kagome was more than thankful. But this… Right now… No. She could handle it.

"No, thanks."

"Kagome, I'm trying to make things easier on you. Would you freaking let me?"

"I don't need help, Inuyasha."

"Okay, fine. You're right. You need to sleep. I'll stand guard, you go to bed."

"Oh my god, I don't need you to stand guard either."

"Because you're gonna get a goodnight's rest after this bullshit?"

"Probably not, but that's none of your concern." Kagome traveled throughout the living room, starting at the far walls to roll up the curtains that had been torn down from their rods, and moving on to pick up any loose papers on the ground, most of which were drawings and to-be-graded assignments from her students.

Inuyasha let out an exaggerated huff, suppressing the annoyance building up from Kagome's shortness. "Look, I get it. You're still mad-"

"I'm not mad."

"Would you shut up for a second? You're still pissed about what happened between us and now you're pissed that you've got a stalker, I get that, but I'm _trying!_ Could you cut me some damn slack!?"

"Slack!?" Kagome laughed incredulously, spinning around on her heel to glare at him. "I never asked for any of this! If I had invited you back into my life, maybe I could see myself being a little nicer to you, but I didn't. You're here because the _stalker_ took the liberty of inviting you. Otherwise, we'd have no other reason to be talking right now. So, don't worry about trying to be overly nice or anything, Inuyasha, because it doesn't matter. I'm not going down that road again. Don't mistake that as me still being mad, though."

"What the hell should I think, then? You called me over tonight, didn't you?"

"Oh! So, you thought that was the ice breaker? Were you not the one that told me to call _you_ if something happened? If it's this much of a problem, I'll make sure to call someone else next time!"

"Don't fuck with me, Kagome! I'm trying to help!"

"I don't need any! I can take care of myself!"

"Can you get your head out of your ass for like twelve seconds and talk to me!? Stop- hey! Stop cleaning and talk to me!"

"I don't want to talk to you, Inuyasha. I want to clean my apartment." She said sternly, dropping the papers on the table and kneeling down at the back of her knocked-over couch to bring it up to stand.

"Clearly you have some pent up aggravation you need to get off your chest."

"Yeah, you would too if someone did this to your house."

"No. With _us!"_ Inuyasha fired, stepping in her way as she went to move passed him once more.

"In case you haven't noticed, there is no us." Kagome said plainly, pursing her lips as she crossed her arms. "You made sure of that."

Inuyasha swallowed thickly, taking in the scent of her, letting it sit in his nose and replace the repugnant smell of her intruder. Kagome was piercing him with that stare again, her brow furrowed, slightly hooding her dark eyes as she met his gaze. All the color in her face was hidden from his view, the lamp behind her shading her features and denying him the sight. His resolve began to crumble, taking his temper with it as he fought back the temptation to step just a little closer. "Kagome, I never meant-"

"Geez, can you possibly choose a better time to have this discussion!? You've had months, my number hasn't changed, but _now's_ when you want to bring it up? Holy crap, Inuyasha, I mean I know you suck with women, but this is a new level!"

"At least I'm trying, which is more than I can say for you! We never talked about it, and you still seem bothered so here I am! Get it out of your system!" Inuyasha barked, her words like knives stabbing him over and over. He watched her stiffen, the muscles of her neck becoming more evident as she sucked a breath in and held it for a small moment before exhaling noisily, scowling, stomping over to a nearby throw pillow on the floor and launching it at him.

"You are such an ass, Inuyasha! You have horrible timing, you're rude, you're inconsiderate, and you're selfish! You wanna talk about this? _Fine!"_ Kagome grabbed another pillow, chucking it at him in her fervor, watching him easily block the offending object but never make a move to stop her assault. "You tossed me aside for your ex! How did you expect me to take that?"

"I did not!"

"We may not have been official, Inuyasha, but we were never _nothing._ Maybe it wasn't the same for you as it was for me, and that's all fine and dandy, but you could have said something. Instead, you decided it would be better to keep her a secret!" She threw another pillow, only able to nail him in the knee that time. "I deserved the truth, you jackass! If you wanted to be with Kikyo, you should have just told me!"

"You've got it all wrong! I didn't know what to do at the time, but she needed my help! I couldn't just turn her away!"

"Don't try to pull that hero card with me! How am I supposed to believe nothing happened between you two when I _saw_ her in your living room wearing your clothes? I know your history with her! You were hung up for a month after she left, so don't even try to feed me that rancid bullshit!" Kagome argued, flexing her jaw in an attempt to keep her bottom lip from quivering. She watched the anger seemingly leave Inuyasha's facial features, his shoulders sagging in defeat as a guilty expression took over. Kagome could feel the sharp sting of tears at the corners of her eyes, and she tried to blink them away. She wasn't willing to cry about this in front of him. Not now. Not while her apartment was as much of a wreck as she was. "I think you should leave, Inuyasha."

"What? Kagome, no. You've gotta understand, things were complicated then. I didn't mean- I didn't want... _Fuck,_ after all these years do you actually think I'm capable of intentionally doing something to hurt you?" Inuyasha pushed the silver bangs from his eyes, as if clearing the wisps of hair from his vision would help him speak clearer.

"Yes! And it won't happen again, so get the hell out!" Inuyasha felt the stab in his chest all over again. He could smell the bristling salt in the air, sense that she was closing herself off further to him. They never had their closure all those months ago. He made his mistake and she was gone as quick as a snap. What made this even worse was he never texted or called to explain himself. To apologize. Nothing. Inuyasha knew to give her space when she was upset. He thought she'd be pissed for a day or two, a week tops, and then she'd reach out to him to fix the mess like usual, but he was wrong. She never called. And he let his wounded pride get in the way of reaching out to her, himself. He let Kagome slip away.

Inuyasha sighed out, knowing he couldn't push her anymore. He opened his mouth to say something, the click of his tongue echoing in the silent room, then shut it before his voice could slip. Walking towards the exit, he grabbed the side of the door, shutting it as he left. "Call me if you need anything."

Kagome slumped along the side of the sofa feeling a debilitating weight sink into the center of her chest. People always said talking about your issues made everything better, but that was so far from the truth here. Opening up, yelling at Inuyasha, revisiting the things that broke her heart was like pouring salt into a once almost-sealed, now-reopened wound. The sting was so intense, she couldn't bite back the emotion that swelled in her throat any longer, a choked, weak sob escaping her down-turned lips as hot tears began to paint her cheeks. Quickly, she swiped them away, staring at the door Inuyasha had left through. Calling him names and shutting him out, acting as _he_ normally would in any emotional predicament, didn't make her feel any better either.

It made her feel worse.

So much worse.

Kagome stepped forward, grabbing one of the pillows she'd recently thrown and launched it at the closed door as hard as she could manage, a frustrated cry scratching the inside of her throat. She didn't want to fix things between them, but at the same time, _god_ did she want to fix things. None of this was fair. She'd moved on. She'd let it all go. Now everything was crumbling to pieces so fine and small, she was afraid nothing would be salvageable.


	3. Chapter 3

**SVU Precinct**

"What the hell do you mean I'm off the case?" Inuyasha barked, slamming his fist on the captain's desk, the nearby container of pens, markers, and highlighters spilling over onto the paper-littered, mahogany surface.

"Just what it sounds like, Inuyasha." Their assistant district attorney stated, arms crossed over her chest in a demeanor that said she wouldn't be budging from their decision.

"You can't be assigned a case that you're involved in. Things don't work that way, detective." Totosai added, hardly phased by the temper of the half demon.

"That's exactly why I _should_ be working it! I've obviously met this guy, so don't you think I'd be the best one to track his ass down?"

"What if you're wrong? What if this is your Average Joe stalker?"

"Look at the damn evidence, Kagura!"

"Believe me, I have. There's hardly enough to prove that you've met this perp."

"Good thing _you're_ not a detective." He sneered.

"All I see is a case that doesn't even belong to this department." She trudged on, gritting her teeth and rubbing her temples toward the end of her sentence.

"A case I'm fighting like hell to keep _because_ you're involved, Inuyasha. It's a huge conflict of interest and if you get in the way, we could lose it." Inuyasha flinched, clenching his jaw. If SVU lost the case, the only way it'd fall back into their hands- if the Internal Affairs Board wasn't already involved- was if a sexual crime of any nature occurred. That was the downfall of the Special Victim's Unit; they worked with the extremes: sexual assault, rape, and child abuse of all forms. "It belongs to Sango and Hojo now. I expect you to stay out of it, and when necessary, your full cooperation. For instance, right now. Miroku's been called in. Go help them evaluate the situation and then butt out when they're done. And before you ask, yes I'm serious. I.A.B. catches wind, you can kiss whatever chances we have goodbye."

"This is fucking bullshit." He huffed as he headed out, the silver hair tied at the crown of his head whipping around with the velocity of his turn, slamming the door shut behind him. Sango and Hojo were staring at a large whiteboard they'd wheeled over to their area, pictures taped up and notes scrawled in chunks, not even filling half of the surface. The detectives casually leaned against a desk as they quietly spoke with the on-call team psychiatrist, appearing more interested than the half demon felt they should. Inuyasha rolled his eyes, not looking forward to the prodding the psych was no doubt about to do. As much as he should be willing to answer all of his questions, he also wanted a new case to suddenly pull him away, making it impossible for Miroku to intrude on his personal life. He was annoying as all hell. You'd give the guy a little, and he'd be able to see the exact traumas that fucked you up when you were thirteen. It was freaky, and no human should hold that sort of power.

Inuyasha approached slowly, sighing defeatedly when their eyes fell on him, Hojo's annoying smile causing the half demon to fight back a cringe.

"It's kind of hard to get into a stalker's mind when you don't even know who the guy is, don't you think?" Inuyasha asked, fully implying that the psychiatrist was brought in prematurely.

"Not at all," Miroku began, raising his eyebrows at the question. "You don't have to have the person present to gather their motif. Maybe finding the pattern beneath all of this will help us track him down."

"What pattern? He's hit her house _twice."_

_"_ I think he's been to her house more than that, actually." He stated, pointing to the printed pictures of Kagome's bedroom taped to the board. Inuyasha stiffened at the thought, his eyes shooting to the perfectly made mattress that Miroku referenced. "Everything but the bed was destroyed. In fact, he made sure to put the bed together. It all seems very detail oriented. That, alone, tells us he's got an M.O.. One that involves watching and observing from the sidelines."

"Watching and observ- are you kidding me? Miroku, he's a _stalker!"_

"Oh contraire, my friend. He knew what he was doing. This guy is patient. He's been taking photos for months now out of view, and he wasn't just doing that as a hobby. He was gathering the information he needed."

"Where, exactly, are you going with this?" Sango questioned.

"From what we can see of the state of Kagome's apartment, he wasn't exploring like someone who was purely interested in only her and her lifestyle; he wasn't trying to slowly crawl his way under her skin to quote-unquote connect with her. This was someone who was trying to make a statement. Yes, stalking is a major factor in all of this, but it's too superficial. This guy isn't a stalker at all. He's a master manipulator who likes the hunt."

The team was quiet, their mouths sealed shut as all of them stared back at Miroku with different levels of bemusement. It was a sign, albeit not a clear one but one he's learned to recognize, that they were just about on board with him. They just needed an extra push.

"Inuyasha, how many times has he been to your apartment?" Miroku continued, feeling confident in his theory.

"He hasn't. There's no way I could have missed a stench like his."

"Exactly. He knows you can smell him out. He knows you're a half demon and the more time he spends around you, the closer you'll come to finding him, so the drive isn't there. Yet. For the meantime, he can get away with targeting someone you care about. You'll catch his faint trail, but it won't lead you far because you'll be too busy taking care of Kagome. My guess is, this is bringing him a level of satisfaction no one can even begin to describe. I think he's been getting dangerously closer and closer to Kagome for a while now, and he's only allowing you to know now that he's got his method down and he's about to strike. He's ready to play this game because he recognizes that there's a very slim chance you'll be able to stop him in time."

"I hate to say it, but that makes a lot of sense." Sango looked from side-to-side at the two male detectives, exploring their expressions. Hojo was pondering, his blue eyes aimed at the floor while he tapped his knuckle to his lips. She knew her partner, and she knew her partner well. He wasn't convinced. Inuyasha didn't look the least bit pleased, as per usual. She couldn't tell if he agreed with Miroku's theory, or if he was just plain pissed that this was all happening in the first place. Most likely the latter.

"What about the bed? Something about it was a little too disconcerting, don't you think? What was the point of it?" Hojo asked.

"It's hard to say." Miroku's air of confidence slightly wilted away as his gaze drifted back to the board of pictures. "It most likely falls back within the lines of manipulation. When you see your house completely destroyed, what are the first feelings you get?"

"Fear, discomfort, unfamiliarity, anxiety, maybe anger." Sango listed, scooting her bottom over the ledge of her desk to sit, crossing her legs and bracing her hands on the edge of the wood.

"Lets go with the most common; fear and anxiety. He may be the kind of guy that enjoys inflating these emotions in his victims. By creating this scene, he's intensifying all of that. It's a bed she'll no longer feel comfortable sleeping in. He's touched it- tainted it, so to say. Made it appear welcoming while destroying every other aspect of her home. I think it'd be obvious that she'd rather lay in the mess than come close to her bed."

"All-in-all, discomfort, which is a simplified word for what she's feeling, is at an all time high." Hojo added as he caught on, rubbing the curve of his chin with his forefinger and thumb.

"Yes, exactly. He's violated every inch of her apartment, and he's essentially rubbing her nose in it. Not even her blankets can provide a sense of solace. If you think about it, this could be his way to get at Inuyasha, as well."

"How so?" Koga asked, walking up behind Inuyasha. He gave the half demon's shoulder a heavy pat, taking up his post beside him as if he'd been a part of the discussion the entire time.

"No one feels a bigger sense of helplessness than him." Miroku answered carefully, glancing at the hanyou. The muscles in his jaw were adamant, flaring his temples as he cocked and bit his jaw down. He seemed to be holding himself in place, his entire body rigid, ember eyes flickering around in annoyance, heavily avoiding all eye contact. It was difficult to determine if he had checked out, or if everything had processed perfectly clear. Still, he'd fully expected the half demon to blow up by now with loud proclamations of how nothing would ever happen to his friend with him around and how he'll catch whomever this is before he can get to her. The heated expression he was wearing was something Miroku had come to know very well from his years of helping the team solve detailed and riveting crimes, but everything else was slightly out of character for Inuyasha. Even if he was just holding himself together to follow orders, he couldn't help but be at least a little surprised the Inuyasha hadn't stormed away from his recent comment.

"So the creep knows how to fuck with their victims' head." Koga nodded, successfully increasing the undeniable tension swelling around the group.

"I'm not a victim." Inuyasha stated through gritted teeth.

"Now's not the time to be prideful." Hojo chided.

"I may be getting ahead of myself," Miroku spoke, redirecting the conversation back to where it belonged. "But given the circumstances, I highly believe, and agree, you've come face-to-face with our perp before. We can look back into old cases similar to this to discover his underlying M.O.. If we find him quick enough, we may be able to figure out his next move."

"What if he's not in the system?" Sango asked skeptically.

"Then we may be wasting time, but we have to start somewhere."

"According to you, we don't have time to waste!" Inuyasha shot, glaring incredulously at the know-it-all in front of them, his temper teetering dangerously on the edge. "He's getting closer and closer, and we're running on _guesses!"_

"You, yourself, suggested he knows you. We have _nowhere_ else to begin, Inuyasha, so why don't we go with our gut?" Miroku responded sternly. The half demon preferred to be in charge and, at this point, just about everything was out of his hands. The more time they spent talking, the more frustrated and antsy he was bound to get. It didn't take a psychiatrist to figure that much out. Inuyasha wasn't the stoic, mysterious person that he tried so hard to be. He was as easy to read as a children's book. He was a hot-tempered, fast-paced, stubborn guy that too often bit off more than he could chew.

"Anything ringing a bell that can give us an idea where to dive in?" Hojo asked from his corner of the group. Inuyasha shook his head, inhaling deeply to quell the building flames in his abdomen.

"Nothing recent, that's for sure."

"Alright, well we'll get to it. _Try_ to keep yourself busy in the mean time." Sango hopped down from the desk, leading her partner down the hall to Totosai's office to discuss their current plan of action.

It was hard to tear his eyes away from the photos taped to the whiteboard, and even harder not to rip them down. It pissed him off that someone brought Kagome into the mix just to get to him. There were too many pre-existing, conflicting emotions involving her in the first place, and the fact that this bastard decided to reopen that door just to antagonize him had him rightfully furious. Looking at the evidence, feeling powerless when it came to her wellbeing, and annoyingly dumbstruck as to who could possibly be behind all of this made the anger so much fucking worse.

Just who the hell had he managed to tick off this time around?

"Have you considered taking some time off?" Miroku asked, stepping in Inuyasha's line of sight, intentionally blocking him from the snapshots. Koga moved closer, as if silently suggesting he supported the thought.

"No. What the hell would that solve?" He crossed his arms to harden his stature, regretting the motion. Surely, the doc would read that as him guarding himself or some other equally pathetic evaluation.

"Maybe there's something you'd be better off doing at home as opposed to sitting here growing frustrated with a case you can't touch."

"I'm better off here." Inuyasha said resolutely, giving a final, deadpan stare and walking away, semi-effectively ending the conversation. Miroku, being smart with his fancy, expensive degree, got the hint. He'd caught the slight shrug from Miroku's shoulders in his peripheral vision before he headed to Totosai's office, joining Sango and Hojo. Unfortunately, it took stronger hints to get through to Koga, the wolf demon following close behind Inuyasha on his way to his station.

"Yeah? On desk duty?"

"I need to be _here_ in case anything happens. Psych boy can't probe my brain if I'm sitting on my ass at home. The more accessible I am, the higher chances we have at getting this shit handled as quick as possible."

"Alright, I can get that. That's actually pretty smart of you, but I know that's not the real reason behind it."

"Oh, yeah? You gain some mind reading powers recently?"

"Please," Koga grunted, rolling his blue eyes over dramatically. "I've been your partner for too long not to know the basics about you. If you were at home, there'd be nothing to keep you busy and you'd end up obsessing over the case. You'd grow restless and then begin to conduct your own investigation, which would _not_ fly under the radar because you don't know the definition of subtlety. Thankfully, and surprisingly, you're intelligent enough not to risk the consequences given the circumstances of involvement."

"Hey, you'd be in the same fucking position if Ayame was in danger!" Inuyasha growled, infuriated by Koga's nonchalance.

"You're not wrong. I'd want answers just as much as you do and it would piss me off when I couldn't play a hand in getting them, but I'm at least bright enough to see the blessing in disguise here."

Inuyasha groaned, pushing papers and files around his desk to make it look like he was suddenly busy, hoping it would be enough incentive to send is partner away. "Not everyone can be as infuriatingly optimistic as you, wolf."

"Jesus Chris, has anyone told you how stupid you are, dog breath?"

"What-"

"You can actually _protect_ Kagome now! If this were your assignment, you'd constantly be up shit creek for ignoring protocol and personally seeing to Kagome's safety! Kagura and Totosai are trying to prevent Internal Affairs from getting involved, which is a pretty big fucking deal!" His partner slammed the drawer shut, nearly catching Inuyasha's fingers and grabbing the attention of the entire office. "At the same time, they're doing you a favor. Now you can legally step in; you don't need backup with you twenty four-seven to cock block. You can do whatever the fuck you want that doesn't involve touching your case. It's obvious you'll be kept up to speed on it. You'll know one way or the other what's going on at all times. _No one_ here is against you! Why the hell is this so hard for you to understand?"

"Shut up! You don't see the bind I'm in right now! I can't help my own investigation unless called on, and I can't play bodyguard to someone who doesn't want anything to do with me. It's a fucking lose-lose. Don't act like you haven't noticed." Inuyasha seethed, reeling his voice in but keeping the growl evident.

"Oh, I've noticed." Koga's voice came off rough, deep, hardly hiding the hint of amusement behind it. "How about you use this new-found free time to handle your shit?"

"How about you learn how to mind your fucking business? She told me the other night she doesn't want my help!"

"First of all, when has that ever stopped you? You're the most persistent guy I know. Second, here's an idea, and it's wild so bear with me: fix it!"

Inuyasha groaned, rolling his eyes. He makes it sound so fucking easy.

"Say you're sorry."

"Butt out. Don't act like you know what happened."

"Alright, so tell me."

"No."

"Seriously, own up. What did you do?"

"Back off!"

"What'd you do, mutt face?"

"What the _fuck_ is your-"

"What'd you..." Koga paused, his mouth still agape, his eyes slowly widening as some sort of belated epiphany hit him. Finally, an exasperated laugh left his lips, making him come off more crazy than annoying for once. "Wait, woah, wait. I _knew_ I remembered her name from somewhere. A few months ago you were stressed and angry and all kinds of mopey. You kept checking your phone, and I remember seeing her name one time when I peeked over. I can't believe I'm just piecing this together now!"

"Koga!" Inuyasha growled dangerously.

"Man, I remember that like it was yesterday! I've never seen you come so close to puppy eyes in my damn life! You were the epitome of pathetic! There's no way you were only friends with benefits!"

Inuyasha stood up straight, facing Koga and stepping in to size up, his shoulders squaring as he hardened his stance while the wolf demon made no moves away, their height only separated by an inch, though Koga's demeanor made him seem a whole foot taller. The cocky fucker even wore a sly grin on his face.

Then the curve of his lips faded away, landing in a placid, flat line, all traces of amusement vanishing just as quickly as they'd arisen. Koga mirrored the half demon's determined glare, speaking in a low, gruff tone that would only bite at Inuyasha's sensitive ears. "You want to protect her, then do it. You want to be with her, then fix it. You want to get this guy, cooperate. Don't act like the sky is falling and you're the only one the pieces are landing on. You're a fucking detective. You solve problems for a living. If you're going to be high-strung in the office, expect everyone to give you a hard time. All it's telling us is you can't handle the stress, and you've got no business here. If you don't want to be with Kagome, hey, that's cool too. There's one less thing you've gotta do. You've got options. You've got a brain. Utilize it and trust us for once."

**The Coffee Shop**

Kagome stared down at the letter envelope placed nicely before her on the small, square table, following the path of the pale, calloused fingers that pushed it her way, over the thin-skinned, veiny hand hovering just above it, up the sleeved arm and over the broad shoulder, her perturbed gaze connecting with the slanted, violet eyes of a man. He smiled as if they were old friends meeting up in the cafe after arranging the plans weeks in advanced. As Kagome opened her mouth to say something, he raised his brows and cocked his head, cutting her off before her voice could slip.

"Let's not cause a scene." The man pulled out the chair opposite Kagome, sitting down and scooting forward, propping his chin up as he slid the envelope closer with his free hand. "That's for you. I suggest a smile. Don't want to tip anyone off, do we?"

Kagome had stiffened, justifiably both confused and uncomfortable, her brown eyes shifting to the side to see if anyone was looking. Not a single soul in the cafe was paying them any mind, bodies bustling around in the busy rush of the morning. Still, Kagome complied, giving a wane smile as she revisited the man's fierce stare.

"Do I know you?" She asked, taking the envelope from his fingers and picking it up, palpating the paper to feel the contents within. It was hard to determine exactly what she held, but it definitely wasn't a love letter.

"No, but I know you." His smile never faltered, his pale cheeks turning a dull shade of pink from his pinching smile, amusement shining through.

"I'm gonna take a wild stab in the dark and guess that you're not about to tell me who you are." Kagome grimaced, unable to keep up the facade. Her heart was pounding with the amount of nerves building up in her chest at an alarming rate. Obviously he was a threat with the way he told her not to "tip" anyone off by looking anything other than pleased, which was enough to instantaneously spike her fight or flight, the latter looking to be more satisfying. Kagome willed herself to calm as much as possible, telling herself that reacting negatively would only make matters worse. This had something to do with her stalker case, she was positive about that much. What she wasn't sure about was whether she was sitting a mere foot away from the culprit, himself, or if this was his errand boy.

"You're good at this." He chuckled. "He didn't tell me you were so smart."

Errand boy.

"That's probably because he doesn't know anything about me other than what he's seen in the pictures he takes. And these are..." Kagome waved the envelope around by the side, the weight of its contents bending the paper back and forth.

"Your guess is as good as mine." He shrugged, seemingly even more amused than before. He leaned back a bit, too comfortable for her liking, his stark black ponytail resting over his shoulder before he flicked it behind. "I also wouldn't get too confident with that theory. From what I've heard, he knows you pretty well, and your friend even better."

Kagome swallowed hard, looking from the envelope to the man before her and back down to the envelope, decidedly sliding it back his way along the table. "I don't want it."

"Not my problem." He said, sliding them back to her. "I did my job."

"You know, you're pretty ballsy to approach me this way in public."

"Yeah, yeah." His lips actually twitched downward for the first time since he'd invited himself over, rolling his violet eyes as he leaned forward and propped his forearms on the table, his shoulders sinking minutely. "You gotta do what you gotta do. I don't think you're dumb enough to make a scene right now, because who knows what'll happen if you do, and by the time you tell the police I'll be long gone. What harm will some over-pixelated security camera footage do compared to the lunatic watching my every move?"

"You don't have to do his bidding. You could turn him into the police right now and-"

"What? Your little detective friend will keep me safe?" The smile returned. "Because _you're_ so safe right now?" The man laughed, intensifying the sickening feeling in the pit of Kagome's abdomen.

"I'm not afraid of him, Kagome. I'm not the one that needs saving." He continued, cocking a brow at her as he studied her pinning expression, leaning further over the small table. She was trying to make it illegible, stone cold, hoping her eyes would somehow fog over so he couldn't get anything off of her, but by the taunting grin he wore, she could tell it wasn't holding up. "You're afraid, though. Aren't you? The dark circles beneath your eyes tell me you haven't been sleeping very well. I don't think it's all that fair that you're suffering alone like this. You know who I think should be even more afraid than you are?"

The man rose from his seat, readjusting the hoody over his shoulders just as a barista called Kagome's name to let her know her coffee was finally ready. He looked to the counter where the sleeved, to-go cup waited, then back to her, flashing one last unwelcome, thin-lipped smile. "Inuyasha."

Before she could gather her wits, before she could find her voice and ask what he meant, the man walked away, the slightest hint of flamboyancy in his step. The notion yanked at Kagome's insides, twisting and pulling, a clammy sweat dotting her hairline as she processed everything. While it was recently discovered that he was more involved than she'd initially presumed, she still didn't know to what degree. Was it a game, or was this guy solely out to destroy Inuyasha's life?

And here she was making matters worse by acting out, being selfish, only concerned about herself and what she was going through, making sure to push the ill feelings toward the photos of Inuyasha to the back of her mind while she tried over and over to justify the way she reacted the last time she saw him- no matter how awful she felt for it. How could she claim she hated seeing him on the receiving end of this and then actively shut him out? Where had her compassion gone? No matter what took place between she and Inuyasha in the past, it didn't change the fact that they were being hunted down by someone. The both of them. Together. Yet, when it came down to it, when the opportunity was presented for them to help each other, she turned him away without a second thought. She wanted nothing to do with him when all he wanted to do was ensure her wellbeing.

Inuyasha wasn't just the victim of this ongoing, slow burn attack. He was the victim of her stupid, wounded pride and the onslaught of malicious feelings she refused to control.

Even after the events that ended whatever unspoken relationship they had, Kagome could admit Inuyasha deserved better.

She sat and waited, watching the man make his way through the unknowing crowd and exit the double glass doors without looking back at her, taking most of the dense air he'd suffocated her with along with him. Then she forced herself to move, her muscles feeling as unsteady as they would after a rigorous workout. She stood from the wooden chair, hesitantly taking the envelope with her, gently pushing through the crowd around the pickup counter and snagging the large cup with her name on it. To be honest, she didn't even want it anymore, but she knew that if this was the way her day was starting off, it was best to get as much caffeine in her system as soon as possible.

Even though she'd shoved the envelope deep into the confinements of her purse, she could practically feel it burning a hole through the cheap material, heat seeping through her jeans and irritating the skin beneath. Her fingers itched to get it opened and over with, to see what sort of snapshots she'd been rewarded this time around, but there hadn't been a good opportunity just yet. Kagome was standing at the entry of her classroom, holding the door open as her students filed in, having barely made it to work on time. Her purse still dangled over her shoulder, coffee in one hand while the other hand was held out to give high-fives to the children on their way inside.

"Hey, are you okay? You seem a little out of it." Her teaching assistant asked as Kagome shut the door.

"Yeah." She quickly dismissed, waving to push the notion aside. "I've just had a hectic morning. Would you mind leading their warmups while I get a few things situated?"

Ayumi agreed with a happy nod, pulling the talkative kids' attention her way to gather around the circular area rug as they finished shoving their belongings into their respective cubbies at the back of the room. Kagome left her to it, parking in the seat behind her desk and fishing the envelope out of her purse, using her nail to peel up the corner of the glued flap before shoving her finger through to rip the top open. She was eager to get this done, eager to see how much messier things were about to get, and then baffled when she saw the contents weren't even remotely close to what she was expecting. She flicked through the multi-colored polaroids without fully taking them out of the envelope. None of the pictured women and children looked familiar in the least. The photos seemed aged, naturally discolored, and the people in the images dressed in out-dated fashions. Every single one of them were candid and taken from a close distance, an occasional shoulder getting in the path of a clear shot. She guessed these were from the late eighties to mid nineties by the way the women presented feathered or crimped their hair, flared out the ends of their bob cuts, or purposely kept thin strands free to frame the sides of their face from the tiny butterfly clips decorating the tops of their head.

But why did she receive these? Was it a coded message of some sort? She flipped through the photos again, checking the backs of each one to see if anything was written. Nothing.

Great.

It had to be a clue. A clue meant for the police, because obviously she was going to hand it over. This guy was having so much fun playing his sick, maniacal game that he was even willingly giving information to S.V.U. to help them out, using as many messengers as necessary in between. It seemed Kagome was officially a messenger.

Although it was only a theory, it was the only thing that made sense. Why else would she be handed pictures of total strangers from over a decade ago? It could be a sign that they'd gone through the same thing she and Inuyasha are currently dealing with. Maybe even worse considering children were involved. Or, it could be something to completely derail them. Either way, she needed to show these to Inuyasha and the others. She needed to tell them she was approached by a lackey and give them the description she'd been repeating in her head to make sure no details were forgotten. She needed to get through the day with the best smile she could conjure up, get her work done, then make her way down to the police department, animosity with the half demon be damned.

No one would be able to tell where her head was if she had it her way. She could handle this. This was the hand she'd been dealt, so she had no other choice. Her life may have been turned upside down, but Kagome wasn't about to allow it to fall apart.

She waved to the few students that shouted goodbye as the last of the parents showed up to retrieve their children, traveling out of the open gate after locking up her classroom, and heading the exact opposite direction from where she lived. She kept her head down, hoping her thick, wavy hair was enough to hide her face from any curious photographers, camera clicks practically echoing in her ears. Kagome had to remind herself it was all in her head. She was being paranoid. She was under a ton of stress, so feeling this way was to be expected. She'd seen enough _Law & Order_ to learn a thing or two, and no matter what kind of level head she attempted to maintain, she was no exception to the side affects of victimization.

The front of the building was busy as she walked up the front steps, slowly hopping up a few before standing aside and waiting for a policeman escorting a handcuffed, half-dressed woman by the arm to pass through the doors before following through, herself, quickly scouting out the directory to find which floor the Special Victim's Unit was on.

Third.

She jumped in an elevator, squeezing in with four more people and pressing the button to her destination, politely ducking out as the _ding_ indicated they'd arrived. She wasn't nervous about reporting what had happened; she was eager to do anything that could help end the madness sooner rather than later. Yet, being in the hallway just outside their propped, double doors, getting closer and closer to entering with each step made her feel unbelievably anxious. Suddenly she wasn't so sure she could go inside or not. It was only a few days ago that she'd told Inuyasha to leave; that she didn't want, nor need, any help from him. Now, here she was, dragging her cheap boots through the halls of his domain, semi-ready to give a brief, in-person statement so that he _would_ help her. It was that annoying pull talking again, the one that always wanted to see Inuyasha, creating an arena for her conflicting emotions to battle it out in.

The worst part of it all was she didn't know what to expect once she made it through the doorway. Was he going to blow her off? Jump up to see if she was okay? Light up like he always used to? Touch her like she found herself craving so badly in the middle of her sleepless nights? Good lord, she was being ridiculous. Eye-roll worthy, even for herself. What right did she have to feel this way? What right did she have to hold a grudge on him in the first place, and then throw it all in his face when he was trying to help? This wasn't her. She had the prerogative to be upset about everything taking place, even what he'd done to her all those months ago, but she was usually capable of handling things in a more mature manner; "usually" being the keyword.

To say she was a mess was an understatement. Kagome was a walking drawing done by a toddler, lines and scribbles decorating a page, dancing all over the place but the ends never meet to join.

This wasn't the ideal predicament to reconnect with someone, anyone would agree. Nor did she particularly _want_ to reconnect. At first. The more she regretted her blow out, which increased by the hour since that night, the more she found herself wanting to work on things. Maybe it was just the sense of vulnerability that was getting to her. Maybe she felt isolated, and it was wilting her defenses. Or maybe she'd just come to her senses and understood that they didn't _have_ to be friends, but they could reasonably work with one another until they got this pervert off the streets and behind bars. Whatever the case, she acted like an ass and she'd have to make it right. Or as right as possible at this point in time.

Her chocolate eyes wandered over the large, busy room, searching for the familiar head of silver hair that always gave him away, disappointed when he wasn't in plain sight. Her stomach was doing baby flips inside of her abdomen, light but still enough to make her feel unsettled. She thought maybe if she saw his reaction to her showing up, any reaction at all, she'd be able to gauge the damage she'd done.

She'd been having a long, dramatic, troubling battle with herself over the past few days about whether he actually deserved an apology or not. She was stressed beyond belief, but she never found that to be a good excuse to treat someone poorly. He'd hurt her, yes, but that _still_ doesn't make it acceptable to react the way she had been. They were best friends before she'd kissed him. They were inseparable before Kagome fell hopelessly in love. Then things went to hell and it was over. Even though she'd cut off contact with him, he never used it against her or budged from her case. He did more than he was required to do; checking in one time with a coffee, rushing over when she called in the middle of the night, offering to help her get her home back together or even guard her as she slept. As unnecessary as it all was, it was still nice and mildly comforting.

He deserved it. He deserved better. She was being a brat.

"Hi, excuse me." Kagome stopped a young man in uniform, holding her hand out to gently touch his upper arm and grab his attention, but changed her mind last minute and flinched her fingers back just as he faced her. He gave a small smile, the dimples in his cheeks sinking inward. "I'm looking for Inuyasha. He's a detective here, I think."

"He's out at the moment. Is there something I can help you with, ma'am?"

"Oh. I just needed to talk to-"

"Miss Higurashi? Is something the matter?" Kagome couldn't help the slight jump her muscles gave, turning to see Hojo walking over to join at the officer's side. He wore a kind smile, almost charming enough to be reassuring, his blue eyes dulled by shadow and coming off as a calming grey.

"Not really. Well yes, but it's not all that urgent."

"What happened?" Hojo reached out, giving a firm squeeze to the edge of her shoulder. The entire time she'd had it in her head that Inuyasha would be the one handling whatever information she had, given the circumstances and their connection. As pathetic as it felt, she wasn't mentally prepared to speak to anyone else. If he wasn't even in the building, though, it wouldn't be practical to sit on it. She had pictures in her bag, a possible piece to the puzzle if she were thinking positively, and just a small moment ago she thought she was perfectly fine speaking about it. Of course, that was under the pretense that she knew who she was speaking to. Now all she felt was hot and nauseous and discombobulated.

"I, uh..." Kagome paused, willing the words to the surface of her tongue. "I met someone working for my stalker this morning. _Our_ stalker. When do you think Inuyasha will be back?"

Hojo's eyes grew a little darker with the slight shift his head gave, his lips sinking downward into a serious mode she didn't imagine he had.

"I'm not sure. Come on over to my desk, Miss Higurashi. Let's talk."

"B-but shouldn't we wait for him? He needs to know this too, doesn't he?" She was nervous. More than nervous, but she didn't quite know what the emotion was called. Her palms were beginning to sweat, and she was trying to distract herself from the uprising, tingling agitation in her chest by chewing on her bottom lip. She thought she'd be in her comfort zone with someone she knew. Now she was about to give this information to someone she'd only spoken to on one occasion, and this entire situation was too foreign to make sense anymore. She just wanted _one_ source of familiarity so that she could gather herself. Even if he was mad at her, it didn't matter. She just needed Inuyasha in the room. He could sit on the far side and mope for all she cared. So long as he was there, she'd be okay.

"I'm sorry, I thought he would have told you... he's not on the case anymore."

"Oh." Kagome hoped the surprise wasn't evident on her face. "Why not?"

Hojo hesitated, his mouth opening to respond, the corners twitching upward as he thought of something to say. "I probably shouldn't be the one to say. What I _can_ tell you, though, is it's been reassigned to Detective Sango and I. We'll take care of you, Kagome. I promise."

He left the case. It was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped on her, shocking her heated nervous system. Inuyasha up and left her case. Apparently, when she said she didn't want his help he took it to heart. He'd taken himself out of the equation entirely, leaving her, _their,_ situation to his coworkers. Maybe this was what she deserved, but she couldn't stifle how abandoned she was left feeling.

"Would you like something to drink? Coffee? Hot cocoa? Water?" Hojo led her to his desk at the far end of the large office, rolling a free chair over for her to sit in at the side.

"N-no thanks." Kagome shook her head, slowly squatting into the padded seat he offered, trying to fend off the emotions that, as of right now, were completely irrelevant.

"Miss Higurashi, I don't want you to be afraid to talk to me. I'm here to help just as much as Inuyasha would be. Even more so, considering the circumstances." He said, taking his own seat and scooting an inch closer, pen and notepad already at his fingertips. He may have been trying to make her feel better, but _wow_ , salt in the wound. Kagome ignored the jab, knowing that the detective meant well, and willed herself to work with Hojo just as she'd decided to do with Inuyasha. "So you think you met someone in acquaintance with your stalker? What do you mean by that?"

"Someone approached me while I was waiting for my coffee this morning. The way he talked made it pretty clear he was an employee."

"How so?" He asked, looking over as Sango silently joined them. She smiled at Kagome, gesturing for her to go on as she leaned against the desk on the other side of Hojo.

"He kept referring to another man, saying things like, "He never told me you were so smart." and, "...He knows you pretty well, and your friend even better." He said his job was to deliver an envelope, and that was it."

"Okay," Hojo scribbled some words on the small paper of his notepad. "Start from the beginning. What happened?"

"I was sitting off to the side while I waited for my coffee, and he comes over, slides me an envelope, and tells me to smile so no one would grow suspicious."

"Where do you get your coffee from?"

"A place called _The Coffee Shop._ Unoriginal but close to home."

"I've heard of it. He never gave you a name?"

"No. Nothing. Not his name or his boss's."

"What was in the envelope?"

"Oh!" Kagome reached for the small pouch still slung over her shoulder, shifting it to sit on her thighs as she opened the zipper and pulled out the creased paper, handing it to the detectives before her. "Here. There's pictures inside. At this point, I really didn't expect anything different."

Hojo opened the top of the torn flap, pulling out the small polaroids and sifting through, his brows twitching together, but not deep enough to create any wrinkles. Sango leaned in, taking the pictures Hojo was finished with and looking them over, her brown eyes scouting over the photos in the same manner Kagome imagined she looked when she'd received them.

"Do you know these people?" Sango asked, struggling to peel her sight away from the photographs.

Kagome shook her head in response, her shoulders raising in a small shrug but never lowering as the tension held her still. "My only hope is it's a hint of some sort?" The unsurety of her words rang through.

"You let us worry about that." Hojo said reassuringly, handing the remainder of the pictures over to his partner and grabbing his pen once more. "Would you mind telling me what he looked like?"

"He was... pale." She breathed, willing her body to relax a little. This was what she'd rehearsed all morning and afternoon. "Violet eyes. Pointed ears. Long, black hair pulled back in a ponytail. He smiled a lot, like he thought the whole thing was funny."

"What was he wearing?"

"Jeans. Black jeans, I think. He had on a plain, grey shirt with a navy hoodie over it."

"And have you ever seen this man before?" Sango asked, cocking her head to the side, the bangs that framed her temples shifting off her skin but keeping their blowdried curve.

"No. At least, I didn't recognize him."

"Did anything he say stand out?"

"It all stood out to me." Kagome admitted. "I remember our entire conversation. He called whoever he's working for a lunatic, taunted me a little, and said Inuyasha should be even more afraid than I am."

Both of the detectives' faces contorted in dismay, but before they could say anything, Kagome continued. She could feel herself slowly beginning to crumble under the weight that had been piling on over the weeks, her chin quivering from trying to keep the evident frown on her face under control. "I don't know what he meant, and he left before I could ask. You know, things were bad enough when there was one guy following us around, but now he's got people running his errands for him. I'm constantly looking over my shoulder, but for _who?_ I know this guy's face, but he could always employ someone completely different next time around. Or maybe even do some of the work, himself, and I wouldn't even know." She paused, trying to gather herself, looking back and forth between Sango and Hojo, trying to find an ounce of the strength she would have seen had she been looking in the hanyou's ember eyes. When she couldn't, when she realized she was reaching for something unfeasible to attain, she felt her aggravation flair. "I don't understand what's going on, and I'm sick of not knowing! Do you have anything new to tell me? Anything at all? Have I done something to attract someone's attention? Is Inuyasha involved because of me? What reason does he have to be more afraid? _What did I do!?"_ There it was. Her breaking point was in her line of vision, not too much further ahead. For so long she'd been trying to rationalize with herself, and she finally realized that was impossible to do when nothing made sense; when the puzzle had too many pieces and everything was quickly becoming more and more complex.

"No, Kagome," Sango was quick to cross from the other side of Hojo, kneeling in front of her as if to meet her at eye-level, her warm hands firmly grasping her arms just above the elbows. "Listen, it is _normal_ for victims to blame themselves, but the reality of it is this is no one's fault but the perp's. He's targeting you and Inuyasha for reasons that are his own and _his own alone_. While we don't have answers yet, we're gonna figure this out? The both of you will be just fine."

Reluctantly, Kagome nodded in acknowledgment, not fully convinced but still unexpectedly comforted by how much Sango seemed to believe her own words.

"You think Inuyasha would allow anyone to come at him without giving it back ten fold?" Hojo half-joked, leaning against his desk, one shoulder raising higher than the other with his posture. He had a point. She shook her head in response.

"Is there anything else we should know?"

"No." Kagome said, grabbing her bag and gently letting it hang as she rose to a stand so that the weight of it wouldn't jerk down on her shoulder. Sango followed her lead, releasing her hold as they grew taller. "Thank you, guys. Sorry about- uh... _that."_

"Don't worry about it." Sango disregarded with a wave. "We've seen worse. Can we give you a ride home?"

"Oh, no thanks." She declined, reeling herself back in and smiling delicately. "I don't live too far."


	4. Chapter 4

_"I hope you aren't taking any of this personally."_

She hadn't looked at the caller ID before answering the phone.

"Who is this?"

She'd blindly pressed the green answer button on her screen as soon as the call rolled in.

"It's not you I'm after, really."

She thought it was her mom. She'd been expecting her call, so of course she answered.

"But I sincerely hope you enjoy the gifts I sent as an apology. I know how much you love daisies."

She looked at the small table where a large box of chocolates and nicely wrapped bouquet of yellow daisies sat. She found them outside her door just before she'd gone to yoga this morning. Just before she'd changed her mind and stayed in. Suddenly, daisies were the most repugnant flower she'd ever set eyes on.

"That was... who are you?"

"Just know that none of this is your fault, Kagome."

"I don't understand."

"You're only involved for one specific reason."

"To hurt Inuyasha?"

"Precisely."

A clammy, uncomfortably thick sensation washed over her face, running down her throat and into her chest, a cold sweat dotting her forehead.

"Why?"

There was a breathy chuckle.

"You really should be more concerned about yourself."

"Answer me! Why are you using me to get to Inuyasha?"

"It's much more interesting this way. I like watching people break."

"You're sick."

"I'll see you soon, Kagome."

Three dull beeps in her ear let her know the call had ended.

Kagome stared at her phone in shock, the screen going black as she processed every riddling word just said to her. His voice sounded deeper than she'd initially imagined.

Even though it was just a phone call, she could feel her body wavering, her abdomen leadened and tingly, not a single part of her body holding the right amount of stability. She was scared, unnerved, flummoxed, and overriding all of that was the sudden surge of audacious fury. Kagome dropped her cell on the couch, stomping over to the table to scoop up the unwarranted gifts and toss them in the trashcan as aggressively as possible, the plastic bag losing its grip on the bin and dropping inward.

Who the hell did this guy think he was; calling her, pretending it was nothing but a courtesy, acting as if he was being kind by sending her chocolates and daisies, and giving a cheap explanation? He was scum. Horrible, terrifying, disgusting, worthless scum. What was Kagome supposed to do now? Tell the police? She had no valuable information to give them, and this time he took the liberty of blocking his number. He hadn't given any sort of idea to what "see you soon" meant, and she knew it would only be a waste of everyone's time.

She'd just have to swallow this one on her own.

Kagome paced back and forth in her living room, still donned in the yoga outfit she hadn't bothered to change out of. She'd figured that since she wasn't comfortable going outside today, thanks to the ugly flowers and distasteful candies, she'd just flow with her home practice, but then she'd received the call. Her nerves were flared, her muscles where trembling, an intolerable rush was coursing through her bloodstream causing her to be annoyingly antsy, and there was absolutely no hope of her staying still for more than twelve seconds at a time. Her apartment was suddenly too small and she wanted to go outside for a breath of fresh air, but then the world was too big. She was suffocating inside, and she was blind outside. Everything was a lose-lose, and Kagome wanted to yell, wanted to break something.

But what good would that do?

Why should she have to buy a new lamp just because some conniving creep thought he was cunning? She tried stilling for a moment, taking deep breaths to release at least a little stress, and very slowly she could feel herself coming together again. The cramps in her lungs were beginning to lessen, and her limbs began to feel closer to normal, a little gelatinous like they would after a workout, but better than they did moments ago. She wasn't there yet. She wasn't one-hundred percent okay. Maybe sixty-two percent, but it quickly snapped back down to ten the instant her phone's ringtone blared once more, her head whipping to view the illuminated screen laying on the cushions of her hand-me-down couch.

As if a signal was shot into her brain, Kagome began trembling all over again, an insurmountable amount of thoughts racing through her mind and holding her captive. He's calling again. Jesus Christ, he's calling again! He just called! Why is this happening? Stop calling me! Mom? It's mom. It's just mom. What if he has mom's phone? No, it's mom. It's okay. You're okay. Answer the phone. It's just mom.

She reached for the chiming device, constricting her chest muscles to control her heavy breathing and calm down. Who would have thought that a single attempt at contact, hearing his voice one time, would cause her to be such an inconsolable basket case? Her face was freezing from the dewy sweat glistening her face, some of it drying and tightening against her skin only to be dampened again with a new layer. Kagome lightly pressed her fingers over her sticky flesh, wiping the beads away, wiping away any physical evidence that she was not okay.

"Hi, mama." She'd barely managed to answer the phone before it went to voicemail, putting it on speaker so she wouldn't take the chance of dirtying the screen by pressing it to her ear.

"Hey." It was always easy to hear the smile in her mother's voice, a sense of smooth serenity flowing through. "How are you?"

"I'm okay. How are you? How's work?"

"You don't sound okay, Kagome. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, mom, I'm fine."

"Kagome..."

"I've just had a busier morning than I'd planned. How are you? How's Sota?" She tried again.

"I'm alright. Tired from the nightshifts, but it's nothing your mother can't handle. Sota's keeping his grades up and even seems to have a girlfriend, though he's in the too-cool-to-tell-your-mom stage. You know how that goes. When are you coming home to visit?"

"Soon. I can't wait to tease him for finally getting a girl to look in his direction."

"Kagome." She expected the tone to be more stern for her knock at her little brother, not one of concern. Was she that easy to read?

"Soon, mom. I promise. I just... I have a few things I need to take care of that've had me tied up on the weekends."

"Are you sure you're okay? I haven't heard much from you lately. I can't help but worry."

"I'm perfectly fine, mom. Just... busy."

"Alright. Well, we miss you."

"I miss you too. Tell Sota to use protection."

"Kagome!"

"Love you! Get some rest!"

"I love you too."

"Bye."

There was no way in hell Kagome would tell her mom what was going on. She couldn't take a chance of involving anyone else. If her mother knew, she'd insist she come stay at home until the police caught her stalker, but the creep already knew where her family lived. There was a photo taken of her and her brother the last time she'd gone to visit. This guy had invited himself into her home more than once, so who's to say he wouldn't do the same if she switched locations? There was absolutely no way she'd put her family in danger like that. They didn't need to know. She can't take those chances.

Still, Kagome was fidgeting in place. She needed to get out of her house. The windows had been closed up for too long and the stuffiness was getting to her. Although the conversation was brief, talking to her mom had calmed her down considerably. It was a super power of hers, and thanks to it, she felt stable enough to go outdoors. A quick walk would do her some good.

She didn't bother changing. She didn't want to give herself any time to talk herself out of it. The moment Kagome urged herself to go out for some fresh air, she grabbed her small backpack, something she opted for on the weekends that was easier to lug around than a purse, shoved her phone into the side pocket of it, squeezed her feet into an abused pair of sneakers she wore too often, and marched out the door, triple checking that it was locked like she'd done everyday since the break in.

The weather was substantially nicer than what they'd been enduring lately. The sun was out for the first time in at least two weeks, and she hoped the trace amount of vitamin D on her skin would be enough to lift her spirits. Even just a little. Still, it wasn't particularly warm, and Kagome was glad she never removed her thin, cotton sweatshirt or else she'd look like a shivering mess walking along her path. She didn't know where she was going. She let her feet lead the way. She had no place she needed to be, and no place she necessarily wanted to go. She just wanted everything to stop. For a small gap of time, she wanted absolutely nothing to happen.

Kagome tried keeping her mind busy to prevent it from floating back to the phone call she'd received this morning, and the ever-ominous, second, "see you soon," she'd gotten that held the potential of breaking her down again. She thought about future projects and lesson plans for her students, and thought about her brother going through his hilariously embarrassing, too relatable, teenage angst years, and thought about seeing her mom again, and thought about this funny-by-five-year-old-standards joke Shippo had told yesterday, and thought about some grading she needed to do, and then stopped altogether. She'd walked at least a mile, surprised at how successful she was in distracting herself, never once minding her whereabouts. Which could have also led her to trouble. From where she stood, she was probably asking for just that.

**Feudal Knockout Gym**

The air was dense, smelling of musty salt. For someone who had left the smothering state of her apartment so that she could breathe, she'd definitely come to the wrong place. In fact, Kagome didn't know why she'd come here at all. She had no business waltzing into the gym Inuyasha frequented, a gym she'd only been to a handful of times before only because he'd brought her along.

Inuyasha ducked, dodging the wrapped fist flying his way, guarding his face before throwing a punch of his own. There was sweat gliding down his forehead and over his brow, about to drip into his eye, and he could only hope the velocity of his kick would track the dangerous bead of salt away, even by a centimeter, just to delay the sting. He nailed his opponent, pushing him back just enough so he could use the wrapping around his knuckles to soak up the sweat, barely blocking his opponents quick moves as he came in swinging. The half demon took the punches as they came, blocking left and right, waiting for the assailant to show a sign of fatigue before making his move. At the first opportunity, Inuyasha punched at his opponent, knowing he'd easily block it, but also knowing the force of his throw would nudge him back, taking advantage of the space to nail him with a spinning heel kick.

As the guy stumbled to the side, Inuyasha caught a familiar scent, the sweet, warm aroma clashing with the stench of the gym that filled his nose, stealing his undivided attention as he turned to face the direction it wafted over from. Before he could say anything, or notice anything significant about her, the crack of knuckles to his face knocked him over, bringing him crashing to the ground.

"Here's a tip: you wouldn't have gotten decked if you kept your eyes on me."

"I didn't ask." Inuyasha grunted, taking the offered hand held out to him and rising to a stand, rubbing out the new ache in his jaw.

"I hope it bruises." He laughed, clapping the half demon on the shoulder before walking away. Inuyasha brushed it off, more concerned with the girl standing in the entrance. Kagome held herself awkwardly, undeniably uncomfortable, her shoulders slouching forward as she loosely wrapped her fingers around the straps of her bag. She was dressed in a grey sweatshirt, a loose t-shirt that used to be two sizes too large for her before she cut it, the new hemline of the thin cotton rolling up to meet her midriff, tight, rosy-colored leggings, and rundown, black sneakers. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail that gently wagged from side to side as she looked back and forth over the gym, every now and then meeting his gaze, but then glancing back over to a banister-draped wall.

On instinct, but with a cool control he forced himself to bring forth, he made his way over to her, stopping with a comfortable gap to mind the distance between them.

"What's up?"

Kagome took a deep breath, almost like she wasn't prepared for the question in the first place, her chest rising from the deep inhalation, lips twitching upward as she tried to force them into a prepared smile. "I-I... uh... I... wow, I'm sorry..." She said, chagrined, a pink hue tinting her cheeks as she looked away from him, chewing her bottom lip before trying to speak again. "I don't know what I'm... I-I...I think I just need to punch something."

Inuyasha could feel the twisted expression he wore, obviously worried. A dominant part of him wanted to press her into telling him what was wrong, because clearly something was, but shaking the truth out of her wouldn't get him what he wanted. There was no use in trying to talk about it right now. With the way she was fumbling over her words, her train of thought appearing scattered, if he even tried asking what was wrong there was a high chance that she'd snap. Instead, he stepped back, keeping up that control he couldn't help but be proud of himself for maintaining, holding his hand out to point her in the direction of the nearest punching bag. She gave a feeble smile, toeing her shoes off before stepping on the large blue mat and walking over to the thick, black punching bag weighted with water.

He glanced over at his gym buddy who was watching curiously as he packed his bag. It was quiet, mostly because classes didn't start until the evening on Saturdays. Surprisingly, mid-morning was the best time to fit in some peaceful and efficient practice with maybe a couple other people doing their own thing on the side. Until Kagome showed up, it was only the two of them. He gave a nod toward the door, hoping his friend would catch the hint, and thankfully he wasn't the prying type. He quickly finished shoving his shit into his duffle bag, zipped it up, and walked out.

Inuyasha looked back over to Kagome. She'd propped her small backpack against the wall nearby, standing idly in front of the bag, staring at it with weakly-formed fists laying at her sides. The air about her was heavy and tightly-wound. Something was wringing her dry, thieving away her positive and alluring energy, and she was doing a balancing act just trying to keep herself together. But what the hell was he supposed to do about it? She'd told him she wants nothing to do with him. She doesn't want his help, yet here she was stumbling into his gym looking thirty seconds away from a mental breakdown. He was jammed between a rock and a hard place. If he helped, or tried helping, there was a good chance she'd probably tell him to fuck off and mind his business. If he left her alone when she really needed him, she would probably tell him to fuck off for being an asshole.

He could handle mysteries. He could handle puzzles and riddles, algorithms and horribly long, tedious criminal cases that involved their psychologist having to come in and break everything down bit-by-bit, but by god, he struggled with the full spectrum of human emotions. More particularly, female emotions. Even more specifically, Kagome's emotions. So what was the right move here?

He was staring, she could feel it. No matter how hard she tried to ignore him, she was hyperaware of the sensation of those ember irises boring into her. The more he waited for her to do something, the more anxious she became. The last thing she needed was him witnessing her flimsy strikes against a bag that would probably end up inflicting more damage on her than she could ever do. With the pressure already resting on her shoulders, and the additional weight she'd just piled on top thanks to her dumb instincts and horrible speaking performance, she was feeling considerably more self conscious than normal.

"Can you not watch me do this, please?" Kagome asked sheepishly, glancing over her shoulder at him.

Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest, giving her an ambivalent look before walking away to find his own duffel bag. He meagerly distracted himself by toweling off the drying sweat on his forehead, neck, and bare chest, listening to her fists smacking the material of the punching bag as he pulled a black tee over his head, drawing his ponytail through before the hemline could snag it and loosen the messy knot. She kept going, small grunts escaping her throat as she started punching harder and harder, the rough sounds of knuckles against the bag coming quicker as she finally felt comfortable incorporating her left hand. He could tell she wasn't hitting right. He knew her. He always had to remind her how to do it, and the harder she went, the more likely she was to get hurt.

"Hey, I'm not watching or anything, but keep your wrists tight. Like I taught you." He said before taking a swig of water from his bottle.

Kagome looked over, making sure Inuyasha was telling the truth, reassured that he was only figuratively looking out for her. She adjusted her fists, rolling them out real quick and then flexing the muscles to hold them straight like he'd shown her several times over, her punches coming much more solid.

It didn't take long for her to start imagining the bag was her stalker, punching him hard right in the gut. It wasn't good enough, though. Without a face, a body, a build, anything other than his deep, raspy voice to go off of, the fires in her stomach remained raging. So, she imagined the guy that paid a visit while she got coffee, and threw her fist right at his arrogant smile. Still not sufficient. He was the go-between, the delivery boy, but he wasn't the one that taunted her on the phone this morning. He obviously wasn't the mastermind to all of this; he just so happened to carry out the mastermind's orders. Even so, imagining him didn't feel half as good as she thought it would. What the hell was it gonna take? Kagome punched harder and harder, her throat burning from the ragged cries her body gave to provide more force. Her knuckles were stinging, but she kept pushing. Her biceps and shoulders were fatigued, but she continued to hit as violently as she could muster. She was exhausted and scared and hunted and alone. It was her fault. It was entirely her fault. She refused to bring any of her friends and family into the mix, and she pushed away the one person that could, and even wanted to help. She isolated herself, let her pride call the shots, threw a temper tantrum, and still had the impertinence to imagine the punching bag was now Inuyasha. Kagome swung one more time, gasping as her middle knuckle slid against the leather, clutching her fist to her chest just as she noticed the half demon standing next to her.

"I'm fine!" She snapped, throwing her hands up and turning away before he could say anything. There was a click in his breath as he stopped himself from speaking and it was enough to topple her barely-held restraint over the edge, so she turned back to him, lost in her reverie, her dark ponytail whipping her cheek from her spin. "No, you know what? Screw you, Inuyasha! I can't believe you'd just leave like that!"

"What the hell are you going on about?" He asked incredulously, trying to bite down the shock of her huffing and puffing before him.

"You always want to play the hero, so why would you throw this golden opportunity in the gutter, huh? Tell me the truth! I can handle it! I'm handling everything else just fine, so lay it on me!"

"Yeah, clearly."

"What ever happened to, "I won't let anyone hurt you, Kagome?"" She deepened her voice, giving her best attempt at mocking the half demon.

"Did something happen!?"

"Stop! You don't get to pretend like you care right now! You left my case!"

"How the hell did-"

"Was it because of what I said!?"

"Kagome!"

"I don't know what to do, Inuyasha!"

"Calming down is the first step!"

"I'm sorry! Is that what you wanted to hear? Because I am!"

He didn't rebuttal that time. Inuyasha dropped his hands to his sides, fists clenched, chest swelled, waiting for her to explain what the fuck was going on since he could sense her self-defeat. Kagome's breathing was labored and her cheeks were a furious red, lips almost the same color from the way she kept pressing them together and biting down on the bottom.

"I know I was out of line. It was wrong of me to treat you the way I did. The way I have been." The tension radiating from her was finally easing, her anger waning, changing, shifting into sadness. No, guilt. Tears lined the brim of her tired eyes, spilling over as she blinked, her fingers gliding through her mess of bangs. "I was a jerk and I said things I shouldn't have. You were right, okay? I was still upset. I didn't expect any of this to happen, though! One minute, everything was fine, the next I've got both you and a stalker in my apartment! My ability to process things was, I don't know, shaken I guess. I know I probably deserve this, but a part of me never considered you'd hand over my case to anyone else."

"Who the fuck told you I did?" Inuyasha asked, a fierce expression on his face, setting his jaw to silence his growl.

"I went to the station the other day and Hojo said you weren't on my case anymore."

"So you just assumed I left it?"

"Well y-"

"You idiot." He grunted, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I didn't willingly leave it! I was kicked off! I'm involved in more ways than one, so our defense attorney said in order to make sure there's a chance of a prosecution at the end of this, we had to do it by the book."

Kagome stared at him, mouth sealing shut as she realized she never wanted to talk ever again, her belly gurgling with the unsettling humility she'd sheathed herself in. He hadn't abandoned her. Using the sleeve of her sweater, she hastily swiped away the tear stains on her cheeks, hoping that if she rubbed hard enough, she'd be able to erase her blowout from ever happening.

"You could have called me if you were that upset. I would have told you." Inuyasha said, crossing his arms over his chest, a subtle roll in his eyes.

"I was... I was mad at you."

"Face it, you still are." He said, holding his palm out so she'd give him her hand, wanting to see the knuckle she kept rubbing.

"No, that's not... I don't want to talk about that." Kagome looked away, unable to fight off her embarrassment, not wanting to meet his gaze.

"Me neither." He scoffed, grabbing her wrist when she didn't give it over, inspecting her reddened skin. Luckily, she didn't hit hard enough to split the delicate flesh, but she'd burned it pretty well. It'd be sensitive, but she'd be fine. "So, are you gonna tell me what happened, or are we gonna stand around in this awkward silence for a little while longer?"

Kagome took back her hand, gently massaging the tender area once more. She was right to assume the punching bag would do more harm than she ever could.

"I don't know... everything just became too much." She replied, giving a minute shrug. "Y'know, it took me two days to get my apartment back in working order, and I had to call out of work for one of those because I had to wash all of my bedding and clothes. Now, this morning, I wake up to gifts outside my door and a phone call from this guy saying he's sorry. Sorry." She chuckled cynically at the last word, too caught up in the audacity of her stalker to notice Inuyasha's stiffened reaction.

"What!?"

"No, it's-" Kagome caught herself, knowing that if she said it wasn't a big deal, Inuyasha would fight her into the cold ground. "There were chocolates and flowers, and I threw them in the garbage."

"He called you? Give me your phone!" Inuyasha ordered.

"It was with a blocked number this time." She turned to kneel in front of her backpack, doing as he said and fishing her phone out.

The hanyou snatched it up, glaring at her recent calls list in an attempt to scare the phone number into appearing. Even if it did, even if the perp hadn't bothered using star-sixty-seven like a little bitch, chances were it was just one of his burn phones. This guy just liked to appear all over the place to throw everyone off. The more you switch it up, the less there is to expect. "What did he say to you?"

"He gave me this cheap apology."

There was more. He could see it in the way she fluttered her lashes and continued to avoid eye contact. She was an awful liar.

"What else?"

She shook her head.

"Kagome, what else did he say?"

She looked up at him, her big, brown eyes riddled with perturbation, loosely wrapping her arms around her front. The discomfort spilling from her spiked, making it hard for Inuyasha to stand there idly until she was ready to speak. What had this fucker said to her? Something grotesque? A threat? He needed to know and he needed to know now before he lost his shit like she had. What the fuck did he say to make her mentally topple over this way? He opened his mouth to push her once more, his breath halting in his throat as she gave in.

"He said he's only using me to get to you." She said, her voice timid and small.

"Is that it?"

She nodded.

"Okay." He breathed, slightly relieved, allowing his shoulders to relax and his chest to deflate. He didn't like that the piece of shit was trying to play mind games with Kagome, but he couldn't help but be thankful that it didn't turn out to be anything worse. And in his line of work, he's heard so much worse. Inuyasha didn't blame her for her outrage. He didn't blame her for how exhausted she seemed, or how tiny she tried to make herself appear. The amount of stress she was under was incredible. It was only a matter of time before she broke down.

"Okay?"

"I kind of already figured that out."

"What? How?"

"Intuition. Look, don't worry about the nitty gritty right now." He tried to soften his tone, stepping forward an inch and hovering a hand beside her arm to see if she'd flinch away. She didn't. Instead, she seemed to ease her hold on herself, her fingers unfurling from the cotton of her sleeves. Slowly, gently, he gripped her shoulder, giving a small squeeze of reassurance. "That's my job, not yours. The only thing I need you to do is trust me. Once we have more substantial information, I'll let you know. Otherwise, premature details will only freak you out further."

"But you're off the case. How can you do anything if-"

"I'm helping, I just can't be in the immediate investigation. Everyone's still communicating with me. They let me know you stopped by and what happened. I was going to drop in and check on you, but I wasn't really in the mood to get yelled at." He retracted awkwardly, handing over her cellphone.

"Okay, yeah I kind of blew my top, but in all fairness, you egged me on." She stated, grabbing the phone and dropping it on top of her bag to be forgotten.

"I did not!"

"Can you get your head out of your ass for like twelve seconds and talk to me?" She mocked again, crossing her arms and cocking a brow to mimic his usual stature.

"First of all, you dick, I sound nothing like that."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Second, I said to talk to me. Not call me names and chew me out!"

"You just called me a dick."

"You called me an inconsiderate ass!"

"Maybe so." Kagome shrugged, not bothering to argue that one away. "You were pushing me to do it, though! You told me, and I quote, to get the pent-up aggravation off my chest!"

"You can't say "and I quote" if you're going to change my words around." He huffed.

"Oh my god, Inuyasha! You wanted reciprocation for your efforts, and that's all I had for you! You wanted to talk about a sensitive subject at the worst possible time! What did you expect, pleasantries!?"

"A civil conversation, maybe!" He barked.

"Oh, because you're captain of civility." Kagome responded sarcastically, almost laughing.

"I can be civil!"

"Mhm, like right now?" She smirked, shrugging her brows in a challenging expression. This was the most fun she'd had in weeks. Mostly because she knew she had him backed in a corner.

"What's your point?" Inuyasha asked, stiffening as he bit back his irritability in support of his argument.

"Only that you get all frustrated and pushy when things aren't going your way, and lose all traces of basic manners. Look, I take full responsibility for what I said, but you instigated my temper. There's a time and a place, Inuyasha, and that was not it."

"Maybe so." He echoed, the hint of sarcasm tainting the remark. "Would it have actually made a difference if I brought up the topic at a later opportunity? Because, I don't think it would have."

"You don't know that."

"Shut up!" Inuyasha groaned, shaking his head. "I know you. I fucking fear your temper. No matter what, you were bound to lose it."

"Not necessarily! There probably would have been less pillow throwing!"

Inuyasha inadvertently chuckled, nodding in agreement. She had him there. Kagome was never one for physically offending a person.

"In my meager defense, I wasn't prepared. For any of it; for my apartment to be turned upside down, for a screaming match in the middle of the night, or even to discuss what happened in the first place. It was kind of overwhelming." Kagome shrugged, partially conflicted with the whole matter. On the one hand, she knew she had the right to be upset with Inuyasha. He broke her trust. He'd crossed a line four months ago. On the other, she didn't deserve any sort of defense for what she'd said to him. She'd intended to hurt his ego. In turn, she'd crossed a line four days ago.

"Yeah, yeah. I get it." Inuyasha brushed off. "Neither was I. Hope you got it all off your chest, because what you need to learn to grasp now is that I'm here. I'm not fucking going anywhere, especially after this, so get used to it. Either we forget about what happened, or we hash it out. Those are our options." He knew he sounded brash, but he also knew he was getting his point across. He wasn't going to leave her.

Not now.

Not ever.

It was never supposed to happen at all. It was one giant clusterfuck of a situation, but at this point in time, he didn't give a damn. As frustrating as she was, as horrible of a fall out as they'd had, he loved Kagome too goddamn much to let her slip away again; to let her deal with this bullshit alone. Even if they never reestablished whatever they used to have, he was fine with that. That wasn't what mattered. Being her friend wasn't even what mattered right now. Everything came second to her well-being.

Eventually, Kagome gave an acknowledging nod, releasing a large sigh as she gave a feeble smile. He knew she wouldn't opt for talking about things right now, and a part of him couldn't help but be grateful. It wasn't necessary. Not at the moment. Her head wasn't on straight, which was more than understandable. While he knew the ins and outs of victimization, she didn't. This was new to her, and obviously she wasn't handling things very well anymore. Hell, she'd hung on longer than he'd expected, though, and credit was definitely due there.

While her skin may be delicate, her mindset and her heart were not. Kagome was tough, and in many ways, much stronger than Inuyasha. She didn't know this, and if he had his way she never would, but not too long ago one affectionate graze from her had him mentally, and almost physically, debilitated for hours. Pigs would fly the day he ever saw Kagome literally swoon the way he pathetically had.

"Look, um..." Inuyasha cleared his throat, clenching his fists to resist the thirst he had to run his fingers through her bangs. "Like I said, don't worry about anything else right now, okay? It's not important. You still need to hit something?" He asked, walking towards a large equipment closet at the other side of the gym.

"That's probably not a good idea with the show I just put on."

"It'll be fine. Catch."

She flinched, barely snagging a small punching pad before it slipped through the crack in her arms, looking up to see him on his way back over with another, similarly sized pad in his grasp. He gave a small chuckle at her clumsiness, taking the object from her as soon as he closed the distance, dropping them both to the floor. Inuyasha began undoing the wraps protecting his knuckles, the long, black material unfurling and reaching the mat.

"Come on." He gestured for her to put her hand out before him, and Kagome mindlessly followed suit, watching as he began to wrap her palm with the black lining in a design that covered both her knuckles and wrist.

"Gross, it's sweaty."

"Deal with it. I didn't bring any extra." Inuyasha murmured, securing the fit before undoing his next hand and wrapping her other one over. "Tight enough, or too tight?"

"No, it's good." She replied, curling and uncurling her fingers to test the padding he'd created.

"Make a fist." He said, waiting for her to show him so he could adjust her thumb and wrists. "Jeez. Every time, Kagome."

"It's been months!" She defended. Inuyasha retrieved the punching pads from the floor, sliding his palm into the gloved portion at the back and securing the strap around his wrist. He handed the other one over to Kagome as she aided him in getting it secured, watching him smack the two circular cushions together before holding them out in front of him.

"Okay, now remember to pivot into your- get in the stance. Come on."

She did as she was told, angling her form with her left hip and shoulder facing Inuyasha, knees slightly bent, bringing her fists up to protect her face. "Pivot my back foot for more force. I remember that much."

"You can remember that, but you can't remember to keep your wrists straight?"

"It's not-"

"Wrists straight, Kagome!"

She quickly adjusted her wrists, guarding her face from his flying, padded hand as he gently swatted her head. "Okay! I'm sorry!"

"Remember the combo?" Inuyasha asked.

"I think so."

"Good. I want you to go until you can't anymore. Aim for the pads, not my face."

"I wouldn't do any damage."

"You've damn near given me a concussion before."

"Hush. You're just a sissy."

"Yeah, yeah. Show me what you got, baby." Inuyasha slapped the pads together once more as he steeled his position, a loud smack bouncing off the walls of the gym.


	5. Chapter 5

Inuyasha ticked his claws along the wood of his desk, trying his damndest to focus solely on the contents of the folder in front of him and _not_ what Sango and Hojo were trifling over at the other end of the department, their perplexity practically blasting through a megaphone. What the hell were they even looking at that had them so derailed? He knew they were exclusively working on his case, but what in Bruce Almighty was causing them to sound so pathetically flabbergasted? It was driving him insane.

Fed up, he slammed the manilla file shut, inhaling deeply to maintain whatever discipline he had, sitting up straight and noticing his partner seated at the desk directly across from him, staring at him bewilderingly.

"You deserve an award." Koga spoke, his expression never changing. Inuyasha grimaced. What the fuck was up with everyone today? "In all the years we've worked together, I've never seen you demonstrate so much self control. I mean, even _I_ want to tear into Thing One and Thing Two over there."

"How long until you think they'll bring it over?" Inuyasha could feel his irritation spiking. He wasn't allowed to butt in without invitation, he wasn't allowed to have any input, he wasn't even allowed to so much as _glance_ at their work without getting the scolding of a lifetime from their ruthless A.D.A.- a person he was almost willing to admit he feared. He'd witnessed scenarios before where cops had a significant involvement with another person in an investigation, and therefore had to watch from the sidelines. They were allowed to actually _watch_ , though. No matter how stressed or angry, they were never completely isolated from the damn thing until otherwise called upon, but of course that wasn't the case here. No. Kagura and Totosai were too damn concerned over Inuyasha's temper. They thought the second they got any sort of hint as to who was behind this, he would sprint off to square up. Which was, of course, a crazy notion all on its own.

Inuyasha was _far_ from impulsive.

"Fifteen seconds. Act surprised." Koga smiled, pretending to be busy as Sango dropped a crinkled envelope in front of Inuyasha.

The half demon looked up at the hovering detectives, noting the obvious aggravation wrinkling Sango's brow line. Hojo wasn't looking much better, clearly stumped and ready for some sort of answer. About fucking time.

"What's this?" Inuyasha asked, pretending like he hadn't heard the two detectives arguing just seconds ago.

"Remember how we told you Kagome stopped by?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, that guy didn't just pop into The Coffee Shop to chat. There was more to it. He brought pictures. Could you take a look and-"

_"What?"_

"Chill. We've been staring at them for days, Inuyasha. We've tried fitting them to your old cases going back about seven years now, and nothing. Totosai was no help, Miroku could only suggest this has something to do with his M.O., and Koga doesn't recognize a single person photographed."

Inuyasha shot Koga an incredulous glare, causing the wolf demon to jolt from his seat.

"Would ya look at that. I'm out of coffee. Be right back."

"Inuyasha, we had no choice but to lie to you. You know the pressure we're all under right now, so would you just look at the damn pictures and help us out?" Sango grabbed the envelope and tipped it over, dumping the polaroids in front of Inuyasha and spreading them out with her fingers.

His response faded away, a woman's photo in the center immediately silencing his initial instinct to sass, half-surprised that he wasn't staring at a glossy photo of Kagome or himself, and riddled with a triggered memory. It was vague, fuzzy, almost nonexistent but still just enough to wrench at the half demon's core. As he studied each picture, each woman, each child, everything started becoming more and more familiar. Inuyasha noticed a polaroid sticking to the back of another and carefully peeled them apart, a spiked rush jerking through him and slamming his stomach to the bed of his pelvis as he stared at the little girl he'd seen before, her long, silver hair and empty eyes haunting him as they once had so many years ago.

"What? What is it?" Hojo asked, alerted by Inuyasha's clear change in body language. The half demon rose to stand, cursing incoherently under his breath, his voice growing louder and rougher with each profane word.

The kick from the back of Inuyasha's legs sent his chair tipping over as he jumped up, storming to the large display of monitors at the opposite end of the room. He jostled the mouse, making the three screens come to life as he clicked on the database, the bar on the screen slowly filling to show its loading progression.

"Inuyasha!" Sango followed, carrying the rest of the pictures over and spreading them along the glass table Inuyasha stood in front of.

"I know this girl, Sango. We never found her body."

"What case was this?"

"It was like nine years ago. I remember the face of the perp better than any other fucker I've been up against. His name's Naraku-something. _Fuck!"_ He kept typing the information in wrong, his fingers more impatient than his brain. "I went through hell and back trying to get enough proof against this guy to convict him, and he got off with an insanity plead. He was sent to a mental health institute indefinitely."

"Indefinitely? Then wouldn't that mean he's in there for the long haul?"

"Unless he got out. Sango, this guy was a literal psychopath. He stalked women and children, took thousands of pictures of his victims, hung them up like art, and murdered at least a dozen people without a single sign of remorse. Look at this," Inuyasha redirected her line of sight to the screen, finally opening the caseload he'd been looking for, an image of a young boy popping up on the screen to the left, the middle screen filled with scanned images of the paperwork, and the right screen holding the image of his pale remains on the metal table in the morgue.

Sango looked back and forth from the images, noticing the strangulation marks along the neck of his lifeless body, his lips as purple as the bruises around his face. His skin was almost as white as his hair, washed clear of all blood and dirt. He was so young. The photo provided by who she could only assume were his parents showed him standing in front of a plastic, colorful basketball hoop, a black and orange ball held in his tiny hands, making it look so much larger than it would had an adult been holding it. He was smiling, enjoying himself, his light hair long and tangled from running around and being the kid he was only allowed to be for so long.

"His name's Hakudoshi. He was kidnapped and murdered by Naraku when he was eight. When we got the warrant to search through his shit, we found a picture of this little girl." Inuyasha brought up a photo of the same girl, replacing the image of Hakudoshi's corpse. Her hair was long, thick, and straight, a large flower clip decorating the side of her head. Her eyes were dark, holding about as much depth as the sea, light unable to penetrate and brighten what was held within.

"Who was she?" Hojo asked.

"A missing child's report told us her name was Kanna. She'd gone missing seven years prior and was never found."

"So, what? He just... left?" Koga asked about an hour later, leaning back in his chair, balancing on the two back legs as he propped his feet up on his desk.

"We won't know that until we get down to the psychiatric facility and confirm." Sango said.

"We don't even know if it's him. It could be a copy cat." Hojo stated, from the opposite end of the table the group sat around.

"No, this is him." Inuyasha insisted, his eyes glued to the photo of Naraku on the screen, the menacing smile plastered on his face during his mug shot bringing him back to their long, tedious interrogation.

"You can't be so sure, Inuyasha. We have no proof."

"Don't you think it'd be a little too coincidental, brown-noser?"

"That nickname again?" Hojo rolled his eyes.

"Hah! I've missed that!" Koga laughed.

"Now, now." Totosai sighed, standing at the high end, looking unamused.

"I'm only saying, lets not have all our ducks in a row for something we aren't positive of. We need an I.D. of some sort."

"Yes. We do." Totosai agreed.

"You got a little something on your face, buddy." Koga murmured, dropping his feet to the floor and sitting up straight as Sango shot him a dangerous glare.

"Sango. Hojo. Stop by Kagome's apartment tonight. Show her a photoset of similarly looking men to our perp here and see if she can identify Naraku." Totosai ordered.

**Kagome's Residence**

_"It'll be quick, Kagome. All they're gonna do is ask if you recognize anyone."_ Inuyasha gently explained.

"And if I do?"

_"You tell them."_

"And then what happens?"

_"We take it from there."_

_"They_ take it from there." Kagome corrected, reminding Inuyasha that he wasn't the lead investigator on the case anymore. As an officer on the victim side of things, he seemed to have some leeway, but it still wasn't clear where his authorities drew the line.

 _"They take it from there, and I come over with dinner since I know you haven't eaten."_ He maintained the softness in his tone.

"No, you don't have to do that."

_"When was the last time you ate?"_

"This... morning?" She asked more than stated.

_"Then it sounds like I do."_

"And why can't you be here when they show me the photos, again?"

_"Because, Kagome, they don't want me influencing your answer."_

"But you wouldn't."

_"Yeah. I know that, and you know that, but they have to go by protocol. I'm not even supposed to be on the phone with you right now. I'll come up as soon as they're done, okay? I'll be waiting downstairs."_

"Kay." So, apparently, _that_ was where the line was drawn.

The call ended. With the way Inuyasha was talking, she expected the detectives to be here any minute, and if he was giving her a courtesy call so she wouldn't be taken by surprise, which was appreciated because she was pretty done with surprises at this point, she wasn't about to throw him under the bus by tipping them off. Which meant, as much as she wanted to tidy up her apartment a bit, she was going to have to leave it as is for the time being. The smallest details made a difference, especially to police officers, even she knew that much.

It didn't take long for her to catch the echoing march of feet coming up her stairs, courtesy of the cavernous halls, the sound of their shoes outdoing the intro music to the show playing on Kagome's T.V.. She waited for the knock before she got up, peaking through the peephole just to be safe, and then set to undo the lock on the knob, deadbolt, and the newly-installed chain Inuyasha had graciously installed just the night before. The smile on Hojo's face was delightful and warm. Almost as if _he_ were the one welcoming _her_ in. Sango's smile was soft, her brown eyes holding a gentleness as she spoke.

"Hey, Kagome. How are you?"

"I'm... okay." She gave a wane shrug. "What's up?"

"May we come in?" Hojo asked, briefly looking around the hall, gesturing that he didn't want any prying eyes or ears. Kagome nodded, stepping aside so they could enter her apartment and closing the door behind her, not bothering to lock anything. Inuyasha said it wouldn't take long.

"Would you like something to drink?" She offered, feeling her heart begin to beat faster in her chest. She already knew what they were going to say, but yet she still couldn't help but feel anxious. She's been a total basket case lately.

"No, thank you. Look, Kagome, we've made a little progress on your case," Sango said, presenting it as well as she could to come off as good news. Which it was. Kagome just felt like she wouldn't be able to see the bright side of things until this creep was arrested. "We have a few pictures with us, and we were wondering if you could take a look?"

Kagome crossed the room, joining the two detectives at the couch as Hojo pulled out a small board of eight mug shots aligned neatly in two rows, gently setting it on the coffee table in front of them. Almost every man looked menacing. Terrifying. A few seemed like they regretted their actions, their eyes large and swollen, holding up their placard with their identification number. The others seemed to completely lack empathy, staring straight through the camera lens like they were looking at their previous victims, almost seeming proud to be holding up their boards. There was one guy, though, that seemed to belong more than others, looking so frightening, so completely apathetic, the smile on his face saying he'd gotten away with what he'd done for too long. She knew him. She knew that smile. In fact, she'd seen that very same smile just this morning, only it was shined at her kindly. Could it have been a smile of manipulation all along? This couldn't be right. Maybe they just looked alike, but they weren't the same guy. That had to be it. The man in the mug shot had long, messy, unwashed, almost dreaded, black hair, and the one she knew wore a short, neat style. He was groomed and always dressed in a suit, ready for a day at the office. This man... he didn't look capable of speaking to someone without threatening their lives. That's right. She was mistaken. She had to be.

"What's wrong, Miss Higurashi?" Hojo asked, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. She'd been staring at the board for a few minutes, her brows pinched together in tribulation. They'd told her to take her time, but it almost seemed like she'd stopped breathing as the seconds passed. Kagome looked up at him, her lips parted as she worried the bottom with her teeth.

"This man…" She pointed to the menacing shot of Naraku, tapping her fingernail against the tab.

"Is this who gave you that last envelope?" Sango asked.

"No, that's not him."

"But you know who this is?"

"I'm not really sure. I know someone that looks similar, but... this _can't_ be him."

"What do you mean?"

"The guy I know seems more... well-put together and nice. He doesn't look like he could hurt a fly. This guy looks like he'd snap your neck if you looked at him wrong... but, the resemblance…"

"Do you know his name?" Hojo implored, giving her shoulder a supporting squeeze.

"Yeah, it's Onigumo. He mostly goes by Oni; says he hates his full name. Everyone at The Coffee Shop knows him."

"This man," Sango picked up the photo board, looking from the con to Kagome, making sure the girl's eyes were fixed on their criminal. "His name is Naraku. We can't confirm anything just yet, but if he's our suspect, he's _very_ dangerous."

"Miss Higurashi, do you have any other contact with Onigumo?"

"No." She shook her head. "I only ever see him when I go by the cafe. Do you think this is really the guy we're after?"

"We cant be certain yet, but just in case-"

"Tread lightly. Yeah." She was starting to feel sick. If things were actually looking as grim as they seemed, if Onigumo was really Naraku, she'd been in the same room as her stalker at least three times a week for months now and hadn't even known it. It meant Onigumo had broken into her apartment multiple times, destroyed her home, and took pictures of her sleeping. It meant Onigumo didn't actually need to take the time to ask how she was doing, even though she always gave the cliche "I'm okay" answer, because he _knew_ exactly what she was going through.

"You've done great, Kagome. You've really helped us out." Hojo stood, adjusting his coat as Sango joined him. Kagome rose to walk them to the door, almost feeling as if she was going to vomit. All she had to do was hold it together for sixty more seconds.

"That's all you need from me?" She asked, trying to appear as casual as possible.

"At the moment, yes. We'll be in touch, okay?" Sango smiled, giving her arm a reassuring rub. Kagome nodded, thanking them for stopping by and shutting the door as they exited, only bothering to lock the knob for the time being. She knew her stalker all along. Of course, she did.

Did Inuyasha?

"You can go up now." Sango hummed, pushing her hands as far as they would go into her pockets as they exited the small lobby and came out onto the sidewalk. Inuyasha was leaning against the wall, almost in the exact spot she pictured him standing in when they'd first arrived, a brown, paper bag held in one of his hands. His silver hair had taken on a slightly colorful contrast, shaded by the orange hues of the sunset, his tinted bangs falling over his ember eyes, helping them glow a little brighter. Sango held out her hand in front of a groaning Hojo, palm up, fingers wagging until he fished a ten dollar bill out of his pocket.

"You knew I'd be here?"

"You bet!" Sango winked, pun intended. "You're as predictable as ever, Inuyasha."

"Shut up." He rolled his eyes. "Did she know any of 'em?"

"Yeah. She recognized your guy but thinks it's someone else." Hojo stated. " _But_ we can't be sure yet since we haven't confirmed if he's broken out."

"What do you mean? She identified him!"

"You know that's not enough, and even so, he may be going by a different alias now. Onigumo. Koga and I will stop by the psychiatric facility first thing tomorrow morning to see what's going on with Naraku, because according to their system, he's still there. We'll get the visual."

"I'll stop by The Coffee Shop and ask the employees about this Onigumo; see how long he's been a customer and what, exactly, they know about him." Sango declared. "And _you_ will be?"

"Get the fuck out of here." Inuyasha scoffed, pushing past his two coworkers and through the door, heading straight for the stairs without looking back at them. He knew perfectly well he needed to stay out of their way, and he was doing a pretty damn good job so fucking far, so what point did it serve to remind him? He wasn't willing to compromise this case. Not for anything. Not when Kagome's safety was on the line. Sure, if it were only him involved, it'd be a different story, but it's not. Naraku's set his sights on Kagome in order to get back at Inuyasha, and just the sight of her stressed, exhausted, concerned eyes was enough to tell him it was fucking working. Naraku was getting what he wanted.

"Kagome, open the door." Inuyasha said, gently rapping his knuckle against the wood. The sound of a bolt clicking at the end of the hall caught his attention and he glanced over, seeing Kagome's elderly neighbor step out into view, the handle of a black, metal bat grasped within her wrinkled fingers. He cocked his head, grimacing at the old lady.

"Oh, it's just you again. Well, you're alright." Kaede shrugged, turning back and closing the door behind her just as Kagome opened her own. Jesus Christ, what the hell was the old lady thinking?

"Hi." Kagome smiled as he stepped in, locking the chain so he wouldn't give her grief.

"Did you know Kaede had a fucking bat?"

"Oh, yeah. She's had it for years. I think she's excited that she actually has a reason to use it now." Kagome said, heading back over to the couch. Inuyasha pushed the thought of the crazy, old woman with a weapon aside, focusing on what was important once more.

"I brought you a sub."

"You didn't have to do that, Inuyasha." She said, pulling the small throw blanket over her legs and turning down the volume of the television with the remote.

"You need to eat, Kagome." He sat on the small loveseat, unloading the contents of the paper bag on the coffee table. "I know you're about to say you aren't hungry, but I don't care. You've hardly eaten lately."

"At this point, I might throw it up."

"Just a couple bites. Come on."

"Who's Naraku?" Kagome asked, pushing the dark strands of hair from her face as she settled against a throw pillow.

"No. Food first." He demanded. Knowing he wasn't going to let up, she gave in, grabbing the rectangular styrofoam container from the table and opening it. As she took a bite of the turkey sandwich, Inuyasha got up from his spot, fetching two water bottles from the refrigerator and handing one over as he sat back down.

"How do you know him?" She tried again after swallowing another bite, already feeling full.

Inuyasha sighed raggedly, leaning back against the couch cushions, allowing his weight to sink in. He knew she deserved the truth, but he wasn't even okay with the possibility that this man was what they were up against. Again. This wasn't your run-of-the-mill convict. He was a professionally diagnosed psychopathic serial killer that preferred torture over a quick death.

"I had him prosecuted almost exactly nine years ago."

"So, this is all for revenge?"

" _If_ it is him, then yes. Most likely. I was the lead investigator against him. He plead guilty by reason of insanity, and was sentenced to life in a psychiatric facility."

"What did he do?" Kagome scooted a little closer, pressing firmly against the pillow and the arm of the couch now, trying desperately to read Inuyasha's expression. She could tell he was apprehensive about telling her. Inuyasha was never one to open up about his work, what he'd seen, what he'd done. His job wasn't glamorous or easy. It was a shit show most of the time. People got hurt. Men, women, and too often, children were violated, assaulted, and-or killed, and it was something Inuyasha knew he had to handle on his own. If someone wasn't in his line of work, there was no reason they had to know the reason for the dullness behind any detectives' eyes. Inuyasha had explained that to her before. To protect her.

"Kagome, maybe we shouldn't-"

"I want to know. I understand that nothing's clear at the moment, but don't you think I should get at least some understanding of what kind of criminal may be involved in this?"

"What did Sango and Hojo tell you?"

"Just that he's dangerous."

"Okay, look..." Inuyasha sighed again, leaning forward to brace his weight on his thighs, his elbows digging in slightly. "I'll tell you, Kagome, but I want to know how you met him first."

Kagome shifted her gaze, her lips parting to say something before pressing them into a tight line, leaning back uncomfortably.

"You can tell me." He groaned, rolling his eyes. "I ran into Sango and Hojo downstairs, and they already mentioned who you identified and that coffee shop you go to too often. Just tell me the rest, already."

"I don't want you getting in trouble."

"I won't. Now talk." Inuyasha ordered.

"Well, I don't know that I've met Naraku, that's the thing. The guy I met is named Onigumo. He's there almost every morning, and as far as I know, no one's ever had a problem with him. A part of me doesn't want to believe they could be the same person. The guy Sango and Hojo showed me looked evil and like he was too busy being a criminal to even take care of himself. Oni seems like the exact opposite. I mean, he _could_ just be a doppelganger, don't you think?"

"Don't _you_ think that's a bit too coincidental? Think about it, Kagome. Nothing about him has ever seemed off or remotely suspicious?" He asked skeptically.

"Not really."

"Has he ever said or done anything that made you feel uncomfortable, or maybe asked any questions that were a little too personal?"

"Not to me. He talks to the baristas more than anyone. The most he's ever said to me was your average small talk questions. There was a couple times that he bought me a coffee, and while it was surprising, it didn't make me uncomfortable. Do you really think he's a suspect, Inuyasha?"

"If you ask Hojo, he'll tell you it doesn't matter what I think. At this point in time, whether anyone likes it or not, we have to treat him like one. He could be just as innocent as you say, or he could be exactly who we're looking for."

Looks like she'd be making coffee at home more often from now on.

Kagome took a deep breath, pushing all discomforting thoughts to the back of her mind. He was right. Things were beginning to add up a little too well, but jumping to conclusions without proof would only make things worse. Until they could prove they were one and the same, Onigumo would stay his own person, and Kagome would keep her head on straight.

She could handle this.

"So," She began, placing her hardly-eaten sandwich back on the coffee table. "Tell me about Naraku."

Inuyasha's jaw stiffened, ember eyes hardening, showing her the deep struggle he dealt with at just the mention of the name. His entire body seemed solid and tense, gaze aimed down at his hands. "His case was one of the toughest I've ever worked on. I interrogated him for eight hours straight before he gave us enough for a warrant to search his property, and then another six hours before he confessed and led us to the boy."

"Boy?"

He hesitated. Not for her. For himself. He didn't think that even nine years later he'd still be able to see Hakudoshi's small, lifeless, battered body as clearly as he did the day they'd found him. They were too late. Several days too late. That boy went through hell, and there was nothing Inuyasha could have done to stop it.

"He's a serial killer, Kagome. His final victim was an eight year old boy. At the end of that investigation, we uncovered twelve corpses of women and children. Polaroid pictures of these victims decorated his walls like fucking trophies. There was one picture, though… She was a little girl that had been missing for seven years. When I brought it up to question him, he fucking smiled and said "It's about time."" Inuyasha paused, remembering the way Naraku's repugnant stench burnt his nose, his horrifying smile, emotionless eyes, and careless shrugs. He'd had nightmares for _months_ after the case was closed, his face burned into the backs of the half demon's eyelids. "We… never recovered her body. Her parent's had to relive losing their daughter with no closure all over again. And this bastard was able to get out of prison time because he was diagnosed a psychopath."

Kagome couldn't find the right words to say. Nothing seemed suitable for the emotion she could see vividly on Inuyasha's face right now. She couldn't fix it. Only making sure this man was still detained would put his mind to rest. Hopefully. She could see something more trying behind it all. Something that would probably never go away.

She reached out, resting her hand on top of his, his palm always shockingly warm, and without hesitation, he closed his fingers to keep her there. The look in his eyes was fierce. Warning. Protective.

"Kagome, when we say he's dangerous, we mean it. If he's out, if he's who we're up against, I need you to do everything I say, do you understand? I'm going to keep you safe, I swear, but I need your full cooperation."

"You've got it," She gave his hand a squeeze. "I trust you."

His cellphone rang, a low vibration rumbling in his side pocket, the ringtone damn near close to silent, but loud enough for his ears to pick up perfectly. He let go of Kagome, standing and walking behind the couches as he fished the device out.

"Yeah?" He answered, pinching the bridge of his nose as he listened to his partner give him the run down and the place to meet. "Again? Fine, I'll be there in ten."

He hung up the phone, shoving it back into his pocket as he went about his nightly routine, pushing the dark curtains and sheets aside to make sure every single window in Kagome's apartment was closed and locked.

"I have to go. Call me if anything happens, alright?" Inuyasha said, coming out from her bedroom after giving the single window in there a thorough check.

"Is everything okay?" Kagome asked, standing to walk him out, meeting him at the edge of the couch by the entrance.

"Just a domestic call." He ran his fingers through her bangs before he could stop himself, tensing, retracting, and then opening up the door. "Keep it locked. I have my phone on me."

She did as he said, standing in the entrance to gather whatever bearings she could. Her apartment was silent, minus the small hum from the T.V., the new arrangement of her furniture somehow making the place seem bigger. Emptier. She wanted it to seem like a new start when she'd finished, like no one had come in and touched everything, but it didn't. Kagome couldn't forget how her apartment looked that day, and she couldn't stop thinking about what may have happened had she been home when he'd broken in. It still wasn't disclosed how he'd done it in the first place. Did he have a key to her front door, or did he magically unlock it? No one could figure it out, and that was one of the main reasons Inuyasha had installed the chain. It would stall the culprit for a moment, hopefully long enough for Kagome to open a window and climb down the fire escape.

None of it was securing, though. As long as their stalker was out there, Kagome couldn't even manage to feel comfortable in her own skin. She always felt watched. Followed. She never knew when more pictures would appear, if another bouquet of flowers would show up at her home, or if the incoming phone call would end up having his thick, deep, haunting voice on the other line. It was all in her head, but how could it not be? _He'd_ been in her head.

Kagome went into her room, turning on the light on her way in, briefly stopping to look at her mattress. The comforter was pulled down at an angle, none of the ends tucked into the bed frame, the sheets wrinkled slightly, and her pillows were squished and crooked. Just as she'd planted them. She didn't need questions. She just needed some sleep. Tearing her gaze away, Kagome opened her closet door, picking the balled-up bundle of blankets from the floor and taking them out into the living room, a tail of grey fleece dragging along the floor next to her feet, dropping them on the large couch before she stretched them out to cover the cushions. All lights were turned off in her apartment, the flickering hues from the television illuminating the area she'd been sleeping in since the night of the break in as she crawled underneath the blankets, resting her head on the small throw pillow and turning up the volume.

She was alone. She could see her surroundings if anything were to happen. She could hear constant talking to soothe her from thinking every creek was another attempt at him coming for her. This was the only way she'd been able to get any amount of sleep lately.

**Psych Ward**

Koga walked behind the guard, and Hojo behind him, their footsteps echoing in the long, narrow chamber they headed down, walls and floors an unnatural shade of white. The doctors, nurses, and guards all swore Naraku had been restrained for the past few weeks. For the first several years, he was a quiet patient. Didn't ask questions. Took his medication without grief. Only ever talked to a couple other patients in the ward, and those occasions were few and far between. It wasn't until a couple years ago that he started getting easily agitated. He often talked of getting revenge, bringing his doctor to up his dosage of medication. That didn't stop Naraku, though. Soon, his eyes started to grow darker, more menacing. He wore a dangerous smile, even at meal time. He wasn't able to talk to another person without screaming profanities and threatening their lives. A year ago, he almost slashed a guard's throat with a makeshift, plastic shiv, bringing him to his first of many rounds of restrained isolation. He would be left in a room, his only contact coming to him in doses of medication and food- which he had to be hand fed because he couldn't always be trusted. After a week, he'd calmed down. He seemed complacent and responsive. He communicated properly, moved slowly, and after months, hadn't thrown a single tantrum.

Then, he killed a man. An unsuspecting patient. Even licked the blood from his fingers. From then on, he was restrained. Naraku would shout and scream, the leather restraints needing to be replaced several times over due to his consistent and powerful struggle. They'd up his meds, shoot him with sedatives, and enjoy the minimal peace it brought until he came to and started screaming all over again. It was inhumane to constantly keep him locked up, though, so the ward would let him occasionally roam with the necessary supervision. Sometimes he faired nicely. Other times, he ran amuck, kicked and swung, and bellowed that he didn't belong there over and over until stuck with more sedatives.

"As crazy as this sounds, we have reason to think he may have escaped." Hojo spoke, speaking loud enough to be heard from the back.

"You're right, that does sound crazy. He's watched like a hawk, detective. How the hell would he get out?" The guard said, turning down a hall, the corridor remaining just as narrow.

"Just show us and we'll be on our way." Koga ordered. As they turned down another corridor, two guards came into view, sitting in silence on a bench outside of a bulging, metal door. The guard that led them stopped, gripping the small knob to the sliding peephole and sliding the rectangular slab open.

"There."

Koga looked in, noting the medium-length dark hair, and head that slowly, heavily rolled from one side to the other. He was strapped to a thin hospital bed, mouth parted while saliva dripped from the corners of his lips. The wolf demon looked back at the guard, eyeing him speculatively.

"Open the door, numb nuts. You know this isn't a qualified visual."

The guard did as he was told, shaking his head in a manner that said they didn't know what they were in for. If his meds had worn off, screaming would ensue in a matter of seconds. Still, with the help of one of the other guards, the steel door was opened, and Koga and Hojo proceeded inward with caution.

Things were quiet. Naraku stilled, facing the ceiling with an empty stare. It was almost like his brain had dulled and his body was just hanging out, not quite noticing anything else happening around them. Koga moved closer, harsh scents radiating off of the man, two significantly standing out and, unfortunately, pulling him in. He didn't know which one to concentrate on, both stenches burning his nostrils and causing his eyes to water. One was sulfuric and slightly musky, but the worst of the two smelled like something had rotted three times over. The baffling part was, it was painfully familiar. How could anything about this man be recognizable? He was restrained to a bed with minimal contact with other beings. It was a scent that was hard to forget, though, and it took him back to walking into Kagome's ruined apartment.

But, how?

Koga analyzed the lifeless features of Naraku's face, his deep blue eyes blinking so slowly you'd think time had lagged. He had a mole beneath his left eye, and his lips were chapped and pale. His hair was dark and unwashed, the oil causing it to lay in heavy clumps around his shoulders. Something wasn't right here. Koga's gut was screaming that something was so horribly and dangerously wrong.

"Hojo, hand me that picture of Naraku." Koga said, holding his hand out behind him, not taking his eyes away from the motionless man. A ruffling sound was heard as Hojo revealed a eight-by-ten mugshot from the inner pocket of his coat, slipping the photo into Koga's hand without a word of question.

He placed the photo by Naraku's head, comparing the two faces. The photographed Naraku had red, narrow eyes and no facial blemishes whatsoever. His hair was disgustingly long, matted, and pitch black. Koga dropped the picture to the floor, leaning a couple inches closer to take in the smell of the hospital gown the man was dressed in. It was the source of the pungent stench in Kagome's home. The smell of his grease-slicked skin radiated the other vile scent.

They'd switched places.

"This isn't him."

"What?"

Koga turned around, irate, launching at the guard, slamming and pinning him to the painted cinderblock wall, a look of fury blazing through his blue eyes. " _This isn't Naraku!"_

"What!?" The guard choked, his neck pressed straight by the wolf demon's forearm. Hojo stopped the other guards that tried to step in to help, blocking their way and hovering his hand over the gun strapped to his hip as a warning.

"How the hell did he escape while he's under this vigilant watch you bragged about!?"

"I don't… I don't know!"

"You're a fucking demon, aren't you!?"

"Y-yes!"

Koga released the guard's neck, grabbing him by the collar of his uniform and pushing him forcefully toward the restrained man. "Tell me what you smell!"

"He smells… rancid." The guard was undeniably confused, not knowing what sort of answer the detective was looking for.

"He smells like _two different people_ , you incompetent jackass! They swapped robes! Is that all it takes to get passed you lazy shits!?"

"I don't understand!"

"Well you _should_ understand how much fucking trouble you're all in!"

"No, this isn't possible!"

"They don't even look all that similar!" Hojo added, stepping inward to take his first thorough look at their unnamed patient. For even him, a human, to be able to tell the difference within a matter of moments, it spoke levels on how insanely blind everyone assigned to watch him must have been. There was no excuse for this level of audacity.

"Look, I get it! He's dangerous, but how the hell were we supposed to know!? Most of the time, it's impossible to get close to the guy, he hides his face whenever someone comes near, our main objective when he's loose is to restrain him, _and_ everyone smells disgusting here so our senses end up dulling for the sake of our own sanity!" One of the officers defended.

"Don't give me that shit! None of that is a valid excuse for losing a criminal! You've had a stand-in taking his place for who knows how long and no one fucking noticed _someone_ was missing? How the fuck does this even happen? Kiss your shields and the credentials of this hellhole goodbye!"

"How 'bout you stop yelling at us so we can call a code-"

"What for? We came because he was a pending suspect in our ongoing investigation. Naraku's been out for, _at the very least,_ four months, so what purpose would it serve? What you need to do is get your captain down here. Now." Hojo demanded.

Koga shouted some profanities off to the side as he pulled out his phone, dialing out and waiting impatiently until the call was answered.

"Inuyasha. You were right. He escaped."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thank you all so much for sticking with me throughout this story! I'm super excited with the direction it's heading! If you've noticed, I actually felt inclined to change the rating on this story from T to M. In the next couple of chapters, there will be some descriptions pertaining to dead bodies that I don't feel very comfortable NOT warning about... So yeah.
> 
> Again, thank you so much for reading!

 

* * *

**Tree of Young Ages Preschool Academy**

Kagome relished in the quiet of her empty classroom, the large clock on the far wall loudly ticking seconds away. She'd opted for staying late, finding more peace and comfort in the confinement of her work than in the one-bedroom apartment she'd been renting out for the past five years. What was initially supposed to only be thirty minutes so that she could finish up the lesson plan she was preparing for the next week easily turned into four hours, the sunlight long gone as the street lamps illuminated the sidewalks outside her school.

There was an eerie sensation crawling up her spine as she stared through the open blinds of the large windows, her brown eyes fixed on the dark shadows filling corners and crevices behind trees and bushes. The uneasy feeling fluttering through Kagome's mind had her anxiously tapping the butt of her pen against her notebook. She'd been telling herself over and over that she needed to start heading home but remained seated through the chanting until the sting in her unblinking eyes was enough to tear her vision away.

Before she allowed herself to fall back into her reverie, Kagome began throwing her belongings into her bag, sighing out as much tension as she could. It was no surprise she'd been on edge since this whole mess began, but over the last twelve hours she felt herself growing more and more fearful for no reason. During the kids' recess, she found herself looking over her shoulder more often than usual, and even now she couldn't help but watch the shadows to see if someone would walk out from them to greet her. Swallowing thickly, Kagome threw her bag over her shoulder, adjusting her hair around the thick strap, and grabbed her keys, stepping out into the chilly night air and locking the classroom door as it shut.

She couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. Hoping it would help, she kept her eyes solely on the path before her, making her way out of the playground gate and heading down the curb in the direction she lived in. The sensation was intensifying as she walked, her heart unsteady, beating quickly against her ribcage as she tried to gather her wits. She was telling herself she was being paranoid. She was telling herself nothing was amidst. She'd walked home at night _so many_ times in the last few months, all the while she'd had a stalker - unbeknownst to her, of course - and nothing had happened. She was in her own head, psyching herself out. Nothing was wrong.

And if something was wrong, she'd jab and run. Just like Inuyasha had taught. Jab and run. Jab and run. _Jab and run._

Just as a hand landed on her shoulder, unleashing the trepidation she'd been trying so hard to bite back, Kagome spun around and punched, the hard ball of an Adam's apple landing just between her knuckles. Spittle landed on her cheek while Inuyasha doubled over, clutching his throat as he fell into a coughing attack, his reddened face noticeable even in the dim lighting.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I thought you were-" She was silenced by his large hand, grabbing her face and pushing her back in an effort to shut her up while he worked to gain his bearings back, coughing and wheezing until he could finally breath easier.

"I'm sorry." Kagome tried again sheepishly. "Are you okay?"

"I _was._ " He responded, his tone broken and husky as he continued to rub his neck.

"I'm sorry!"

"It's fine." He grunted, clearing his throat a few times over. "Why haven't you been answering your phone? I've been calling you."

"Oh, it was silenced." She mentioned, digging into the pocket of her bag to fish out her cellphone. The screen lit up as she hit the home button, six missed calls and a few text messages sitting among her notifications.

"Why the hell are you here so late?" There was a bite in his tone that was impossible to miss, but Kagome did her best to move past it.

"I had some work that needed to get done."

"You should have taken it home!"

"I didn't think it would take that long."

"I went by your apartment and you weren't there, you weren't answering your phone - Jesus, Kagome! If there's ever a time to be responsive, it's now!"

"What's your problem? I'm fine!"

"Fine!? You just punched me in the fucking throat, and I know for a fact that's never been your first reaction to jump scares! You're not fine!"

"What are you talking about? You're the one that taught me the jab and run!"

"Except you didn't jab and you didn't run! Look, I know you're stressed but you _need_ to be more aware! You would have seen me there if you didn't have your eyes glued to the ground!"

"Did you just come here to lecture me, because I'm not really in the mood."

"No, I came to find you!"

"Well, you found me."

Inuyasha took in a stiff breath, clenching his jaw as he observed the empty streets around them.

"Were you worried?" Kagome's tone peaked in curiosity, the frustration fading away as she took in the color of his evading eyes.

"Do you have to ask?" It was defensive, but still something she'd secretly wanted to hear. She didn't want to reach for much, everything was still so muddled, but his language of affection provided her with a sheet of comfort she couldn't help but be grateful for at a time like this.

"I'm sorry," Kagome said again, stepping forward. "I didn't mean to."

"It's fine." Inuyasha sighed, sliding his fingers through her bangs, this time without apprehension. "Come on, get in the car."

"It's not that far of a walk."

"I wasn't asking." He responded sternly, grabbing her by the upper arm as a way of guiding.

She didn't fight him. Instead she walked at his side, understanding by the look on his face that something was on his mind. As they approached his car, she felts his fingers gently glide down the inside of her arm, tickling the crook of her elbow, and circling just above her wrist, letting her go only when he had the passenger side door opened for her.

Inuyasha crossed the front of the car, swiftly opening his own door and dropping into his seat. He was quiet, the purr of the vehicle soothing as they rode without the radio. As peaceful as it was, though, there was still a concerning crease in the half demon's brow and Kagome wanted to make alleviate them.

"So, not sure if you noticed, but something pretty cool happened." She tried, speaking softly to break the silence. Inuyasha cocked a brow, not removing his eyes from the road as his features slowly unfurled. "I kept my wrist straight when I punched you."

He couldn't bite back the chuckle in time, "I'm proud of you."

As selfish and unfitting as it seemed, considering she was trying to provide for him, it gave her a sense of ease when she saw him smile.

"Look," Inuyasha sighed as he pulled into a guest parking spot, killing the engine. "We need to talk when we get upstairs."

"Is everything okay?"

"No." He answered bluntly, throwing his door open and hopping out. Kagome followed suit, perturbed by his demeanor, a sense of dread creeping up and over her chest. He waited at the front of the car for her, and walked directly behind as she lead the way into her complex, acting like a hired bodyguard for the queen, his ears turned outward and hypervigilant of his surroundings.

"Okay, what is it?" Kagome asked as soon as they were in her apartment, turning on the living room lamp and crossing the room to drop her keys on the small, circular dining table at the edge of the kitchen. Inuyasha shut the door, holding for a moment after locking the deadbolt, the white appendages atop his head flicking as she assumed he was listening for anyone that may have followed before he turned to face her. Clearly, nothing had but just the additional alertness from him managed to give Kagome the heebie jeebies.

"Pack your things." He said, his expression as straight as ever.

"What?"

"You heard me. I'm not going to argue with you."

"Wait, what's going on?"

He hesitated, hating the concern marring her features. He hated that she was going through this, and he hated that he had to rip her out of her home. He hated that this fucker was antagonizing Kagome, and he hated that it just _had_ to be the toughest and most sadistic criminal he'd ever been up against. This was the best he could do right now, though, and he was _allowed_ to do it. He never liked admitting Koga was right, but there was no denying it. Inuyasha not being on the case opened up the door that he could personally protect her, and he'd be damned if anything got in the way of that now.

"Koga and Hojo went down to the psychiatric facility Naraku was placed in." He explained, watching as her deep brown eyes lit up in understanding immediately. Still, she didn't stop him. It was obvious she was waiting for the verbal confirmation. "They thought they had him in confinement, but somehow he'd managed to switch places with another inmate. The whole situation is still under observation, but the important thing is this means Naraku's free, Kagome. Naraku is Onigumo."

There was a brief moment of stillness where he could practically see it all processing, her eyes falling from his face to the floor, her chest rising with slow, steady inhales, her pink lips pressing into a thin line before parting when she was ready to speak.

"Okay." Kagome gave a curt nod, meeting his gaze with a stability he hadn't expected. "Where am I supposed to go?"

"You'll be staying with me."

Her brows pinched together audaciously as she quickly shook her head. "No."

"It's not up for debate." Inuyasha said, unfazed. _That_ he had expected.

"I'm not staying with you, Inuyasha. Can - open, worms - everywhere. Imagine the mess."

"I'm serious, Kagome." He half growled, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes at her dramatic expression.

"So am I! _Hello,_ don't pretend like you haven't noticed the giant elephant taking up most of the room! We've been pretty good at avoiding it so far, but-"

"Fine, lets talk about it."

That took her by surprise, silencing her briefly. He could tell by her sudden shift in demeanor and the small twitch of her eyebrow that she was nervous, but he was over the consternation and the constant dancing over eggshells. This was a conversation they should have had long ago, anyway. It never should have impeded their relationship, and it definitely never should have lasted for so many months. It was his fault she was hesitant to go with him, something she would have never second guessed before, and he was fucking done with the mess that had been created. Sure, he'd be delighted if the issue would dissolve on its own never to reappear again, but clearly that wasn't going to happen. This wasn't some small scrape that was set to heal without leaving a lasting mark on the marred flesh. This entire clusterfuck of a situation was a fully opened wound that couldn't recover because the scab was picked at over and over and over again, irritated and oozing, making it impossible to scar. What made it worse and all the more mind boggling was that it was caused over a simple miscommunication that could have been solved with a text or a phone call that neither of them bothered to make.

"I don't..."

"Then quit fussing and pack your shit!"

"Can't I just stay at a motel or something?"

"Sure, that's fine!" He shrugged. "I'll be there with you, though!"

"Why!?"

"Because if I'm not, then it makes it all the more harder to protect you, stupid! I'll take you wherever you want to go, but you aren't staying here and you aren't going anywhere without me, got it!? You said you'd cooperate last night, so hold up your end and pack your things! If I have to talk about the whole Kikyo thing to make it an easier process, I will! I don't care anymore! Compared to this, it isn't a big fucking deal!" Inuyasha stepped toward her in his heat, noticing her tense slightly but never move away. "I wasn't lying, nothing happened between us! I never chose her over you, I never went back to her, I was only trying to help her! I should have told you, yes! I fucking get that! But I wasn't thinking about your feelings and I definitely wasn't thinking about my feelings, I was thinking about her _health!_ That was what mattered in the moment! She needed my help and I wasn't about to turn her away! We never had sex, we never kissed, we never even fucking hugged! What you and I had - I wanted _that!_ I wasn't thinking about the infidelity of what I was doing, because I honestly - _honestly_ \- was only trying to help Kikyo! So, to me, I wasn't pushing you aside or cheating or whatever the hell else you want to call what I did! I was just doing what I thought was right! _There!_ That's what happened! If you want a play-by-play of every event, I'll give it to you in the car, but in the mean time pack your shit and get ready to go! Now!"

"Wait, are you serious? What happened with her? What was wrong?"

Inuyasha ground his teeth, a steaming huff leaving his nose, still furious about the entire thing. Undoubtedly, he didn't like talking about it, not just for what happened with Kagome, but because of the sensitivity of what took place with his ex. To this day, he couldn't get the puncture marks and track lines on her thin, pale arms out of his head. Her deteriorating state was etched into every corner of his mind, burned into his eyelids, and it fucking killed him seeing her cradled in the corner of his hallway, sweating and jonesing, asking for money, begging for help. She'd left him for drugs, and came back when she couldn't afford her love affair any longer.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome inched in carefully, her big, brown eyes wide with concern, searching his face for a way in to hear his thoughts. It should have made it easier; her compassion. _Of course,_ she would immediately worry about the people involved, dropping or even _missing_ what he'd said about wanting her. That's how Kagome worked, though. Even if she had been wronged in the mixup, she still put others before herself. Inuyasha should have known. If he had been open with his best friend of so many years, she would have been compassionate then too. All she had asked for was honesty, but he'd gotten so caught up and concerned and infected with cruel emotions, he'd closed up. As per usual, things got conflicting, and Inuyasha shuts out from the world to handle it all on his own thinking no one would be affected. He honestly wasn't thinking, and that's what brought their already-confusing, yet surprisingly simple, relationship crumbling down.

"She was shooting up." Inuyasha answered. "She came back to break the habit."

Kagome paused, allowing his words to sink through, a heavy weight settling into the center of her chest cavity, filling the space with a thick, gelatinous feeling that was hard to breath through. She was wrong. She was so, so wrong, and she'd managed to hurt Inuyasha even further than he must have already been hurting in that moment with her assumptions. She _knew_ he had a habit to conceal his struggles, but at that time, in her irate and betrayed state, she couldn't bring herself to rationalize the predicament and ask questions. Instead, Kagome had thrown it all in his face. She'd let her emotions get the better of her. She wished he would have told her. She would have helped. Even if he'd waited until she walked into his apartment as she had, she still would have understood. Helping Kikyo was so much more important than anything else.

"Is - is she okay?"

"Don't know. Woke up one morning and she was gone." Inuyasha's glowing eyes faced her bedroom door, hardened, sad but guarded.

"Was she okay before she left?"

"Hard to say. She'd had an easier night than the one before. She wasn't vomiting anymore, and she only had minor sweats. I got up the next morning and she was gone. Haven't heard from her since."

"And you've checked-"

"She's not in the system and she hasn't rolled into any morgues lately. Yeah, I've checked."

Without apprehension, Kagome closed most of the distance between them, her fingers gently clutching to one of the long sleeves of the hoodie he wore, feeling his forearm beneath her hold. Inuyasha never flinched or pulled away, never grunted or growled in disapproval. Instead, he sighed out, his eyes finally meeting her attentive gaze. As much as she wanted to remind him that she would have respected their situation, it wasn't appropriate or necessary. Those little details didn't matter anymore. What did was that by the minor downturn of his lips and the stiffness in his muscles, Kagome could tell it still impacted him greatly.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered, finding those words dominating the forefront of her mind. "It must have been really hard for you to see her that way and... and I'm sorry, Inuyasha."

He shook his head, long silver locks hanging from his ponytail swaying slightly with the movement.

"No, look at me." And he did. She slid one of her hands down into his open palm, squeezing comfortingly. "I shouldn't have made things harder on you. I could have asked just as easily as you could have explained."

"Kagome," He breathed, gently petting the crown of her head. She leaned into his touch. "I don't want you to worry about it anymore, okay? Can we finally drop this? Please?"

"Yeah."

"I never meant to hurt you. You get that now, don't you?"

Kagome nodded, releasing him and taking a few steps back. "I'll go get my things together."

**SVU Precinct**

"So what'd they say at the coffee shop?" Inuyasha gruffly asked, finding himself too agitated to sit. He slid his chair over to their captain, gesturing for the old man to take it as he observed from the sidelines.

"Once again, they couldn't give me anything valuable." Sango huffed, hating how antsy the detective opposite her got during stressful times. Understandably, he wanted answers but he was searching in all the wrong places. Granted, he could only reach so far before the restriction smacked him back into place.

"Tell me everything they said, Sango!"

"I already have."

"Again!"

"They don't know anything about Onigumo. They don't know if he's married, or if he has children, or anything about his past. He's never once asked or spoken to them about Kagome, or anyone else specifically for that matter. All they know is he carries a camera around at all times and prefers tea to coffee. They think pretty highly of him, too. Every single one of them found him to be nothing short of sweet."

"Fuck. What about that guy that gave Kagome the pictures in broad daylight?"

"They didn't notice him at all, and when they looked back on their security footage, not a single person recognized him."

"And the psychiatric facility?"

"Still under investigation, and the commanding officers in charge of his confinement have been suspended without pay." Hojo answered, shifting through the thick, open file containing all of the information for the original case involving Naraku. His blue eyes never left the paperwork, studying and memorizing everything he could from a case that took place while he was in the academy. Nonetheless, as long ago as it was, he vividly remembered the reports about this criminal on the news and the missing boy's pictures plastered statewide. It was heart-wrenching. The boy's parents put out several pleas for the return of their son on national television, offered a reward, cried and begged for help with anyone that would listen only to find that the finally-caught suspect smiled and laughed while law enforcement and volunteers searched endlessly. No wonder Inuyasha was so on edge. He couldn't blame the guy. He was the lead investigator on the case, entirely new to the precinct at the time, and basically inducted ceremoniously by being thrown right into the burning pit of what _Special Victim's Unit_ actually stood for.

_"But,"_ Koga chimed from his spot at his desk, his face unnaturally straight. He'd made sure to be the number one point of contact pertaining to the incident at the psych ward, and had been ripping officer after officer a new one for the past day and a half just trying to figure out where the mistake was made. He was exhausted and frustrated, but his efforts were finally beginning to pay off. "We've found out who the inpatient was that got caught in Naraku's web. His first name is Muso, and he was supposed to be released August seventeenth of last year. He was incarcerated for a petty theft and diagnosed with schizophrenia, causing him to be stuck in the system when he should have only had to deal with court dates and fines. Our guess is Naraku swapped places with him that very day. So, Muso screaming, "I don't belong here," over and over and over wasn't him just being a lunatic as they'd originally brushed it off as. It was a cry for help because he literally wasn't supposed to be there."

Inuyasha paused, a series of emotions fluttering over his face. This Muso guy was supposed to have been released. He'd done time that didn't even belong to him. As far as the system was concerned, he was healthier; in better shape. He was looking at a relatively positive future away from isolation and overloads of medication, back with his family, building himself up with responsible dosages and check ins, and just about had it all ripped away by the filthiest criminal harboring a vendetta. Lord knows how his mentality is fairing now after the additional trauma has sunken in.

Then, the bigger information started to seep through, causing his stomach to feel heavy within his abdomen, sinking lower and lower. His throat felt thick as he swallowed, preparing to speak. "Naraku's been free since August?"

"Presumably, yes."

"Wait, didn't Miroku mention something like this?" Sango inquired, leaning forward over the copies of reports spread about her desk. "That he believed whoever Kagome's stalker was had to have been at this for a while, and we only knew now because they _wanted_ us to know? Because they were about to strike, or something?"

No one answered, the tension in the air of the office growing denser, resembling the awful humidity before a Georgian storm.

"If he's been out since August," She continued, pushing through their cautious and anxious stares. "If he's been out for seven months roosting and plotting, what do you think he's got up his sleeves?"

Still, the pressing silence trudged on, the precinct mostly empty due to the later hour. With an agitated grunt, Koga rose from his seat, his chair rolling away from his fervency, the entire group watching him. He stomped over to the monitor screens nearby, typing in the info he needed and littering the screens with dozens of pictures of bodies found from Naraku's crime scenes. Taking out the photos of childrens' remains, Koga concentrated on the ones of the murdered women zooming in on a few so their wounds were enhanced. Strangulation marks and gashes stood out monstrously on their pale, cold flesh. Suddenly, the pictures of the found women took on a much more personal effect.

Koga turned around, eyes colliding with widened ember. He could tell his partner would rather look at him than the screen in the background, but by the crinkle in his brow and the quickened pace to his breathing he could tell his peripherals were focused on the destruction. "This is it."

"Koga-" Hojo spoke carefully, cut off by the demon's snarl.

"No, we _all_ needed to see this! We _all_ need to be aware that history is about to repeat itself if we don't catch this mother fucker as soon as possible! Inuyasha, you know him best! Where was he apprehended the first time around?"

"In the woods next to a cabin his family owned. He'd buried the boy's body in the backyard." Inuyasha answered begrudgingly, a hint of venom to his tone.

"Do you remember _anyone_ who played a key factor in locating him?"

"Yeah, his girlfriend or wife or whatever."

"He reportedly had a girlfriend. Abi Phoenix." Hojo filled in, the file still wide open in front of him.

"Anyone else affiliated with him in there?"

"Everyone else in his life was a dead end. He didn't have a relationship with his parents or brother. Looks like he was in and out of juvenile detention centers growing up, and was incredibly destructive. They'd noticed his mental stability slipping as a teenager when he began to torture small animals, and his parents ended up kicking him out after his third indictment saying they didn't want that around his younger sibling." Hojo said. "No friends, coworkers didn't know anything about him, and it looks like his downfall was solely thanks to his significant other that seemed entirely ignorant to his psychotic diagnosis."

"Which means she could be in danger, as well." Sango added, standing from her seat with a heated expression.

"Sango and Hojo, I want you to head to Miss Phoenix's house. Now." Totosai ordered, rising from his seat as the duo quickly gave a half-assed effort into clearing their desks, yanked their coats off the backs of their chairs, and headed through the exit. "Koga, you and I will head to Naraku's parent's resident first thing in the morning. Inuyasha, go home."

"What!?"

"Go home!" Koga echoed, pushing him aside as he gathered his own shit from his desk, preparing to leave.

"No! Give me something to do! I need to help! I can't just sit here and wait-"

"You want something to do? Protect Kagome! Stop trying to take a mile when we give you an inch! And stop defying my orders! _"_ Totosai barked, his buggy eyes shadowed by the twisted scowl on his face.

"Where is she right now?" Koga asked, pulling his arms through the sleeves of his jacket as he moved closer.

"My apartment. We checked in with each other an hour ago."

"Go home, dude." The wolf demon suggested sincerely this time, his blue eyes studying the half demon's troubled expression. Knowing his partner, there wasn't anything he could do to soften the blows of how helpless he felt and how terrified he discretely was - he could see right through his friend's defenses. To him, telling Inuyasha to go home wasn't telling him to stay out of their way. He was telling him to be with her, personally catering to her safety. Yes, it was perfectly understandable that he wanted to be involved in the madman's takedown, and the deeper they got into this case, the more Koga was capable of putting himself in the half demon's shoes. If his girlfriend, Ayame, were in this much danger, he'd be furious and adamant in playing a role in making sure the threat was apprehended. Of course, while their dedication to the ones they cared for were similar, the difference between the two men was that Koga could settle for being kept in the loop and sticking by his woman's side to be her personal body guard. Inuyasha on the other hand couldn't sit still with this much anxiety rolling through. This was where his human half intruded, as the half demon would put it. He felt more than your average demon, the pure bloods being able to block out distressing emotions to rationalize evenly. For Inuyasha, things were intense. He felt strongly, he was as loyal as an actual Akita pup, and his thoughts were hardly ever clear. The guy had the powers of a demon and the passionate heart of a human, which Koga would argue made him stronger than anyone in the force.

Inuyasha sighed out heatedly, looking away, hating how vulnerable he felt in this entire ordeal when he wasn't technically the one being targeted. Giving in, he grabbed his coat and headed out the door without a single glance back toward his captain and partner.

**Inuyasha's Residence**

Kagome was curled up on the couch, a thin blanket wrapped around her to resemble a burrito as she sunk into the cushions, the only light in the living room coming from the television on the wall. Though she'd been to Inuyasha's place numerous times before, at the moment it felt nothing short of unfamiliar to her. It was larger and more open. The bedroom wasn't separated by a door, it was just around the corner, slightly tucked out of view from her position on the long sofa. The floor was wooden, the ceilings were high, the kitchen was spacious, and every settling creek of the beams only served to unsettle her. It would take a couple more days to fully adjust, to fully accept that there was some degree of comfort within his walls.

Tucking her face further into the blanket she was tangled in, Kagome allowed her eyes to drift closed as a commercial stole her show away, the sting behind her heavy lids withering slowly. She'd hardly heard the footsteps leading up the hall, stalling just outside the door before the jingle of keys caught her attention and brought her tired vision to center on the twisting knob. Inuyasha stood in the doorway, quietly entering and shutting the door behind him. It seemed like his movements were slow. Careful. Distinguished, but sluggish. Was he tired? She wouldn't blame him. He was capable of staying up for days on end, but when his body was finally ready for sleep it meant he was beyond exhausted. She sat up giving a quiet greeting, confused when he didn't seem to notice her from her spot across the room. Inuyasha set his keys down on the entryway table, looking straight ahead - maybe at an angle so his eyes were directed at the far ground, she couldn't tell. Trying again, she muted the television and gently said his name only to receive the same response.

He couldn't get the images out of his head. The women. Mutilated. Devoured. Eyelids still at half mast. Colorless. Dead. If they failed, Kagome could end up _just like that._ He couldn't manage to concentrate on anything else. He couldn't get the image of her in their place out of his mind. It made him want to vomit where he stood, his stomach leadened and weak, churning violently beneath the muscular shield of his abdomen. Kagome didn't deserve this. Naraku wanted _him._ She was caught in between. This was his fault. How did things get so twisted? He should have been the one with the threats surrounding his life, not Kagome. God, not her. She wasn't sleeping well, she was scared, she was anxious, and he just wanted to take that all away because _she didn't deserve this_. How could he fix the problem if he wasn't allowed in the immediate investigation? Inuyasha knew he was about to be cut out of just about everything alluding to the case. They weren't going to tell him _anything_ pertaining to where they may think Naraku's hiding out when they catch on, or what their next move may be, or who's helping him, because that's protocol. The higher the stakes, the less you know. The higher the stakes, the less chances they'll take of a temperamental half demon getting in the way. All he could do was see to Kagome's safety, and he was aware that should have been satisfactory enough. But it wasn't. It never would be. Kagome wasn't just anybody to Inuyasha. Kagome was...

A light touch on his bicep reopened his mind, bringing him springing back to the present. The soft fingers glided over his jacket, carefully gathering his attention. He could feel his heart pounding erratically, his pulse ignited beneath his skin. When had he grasped onto the edge of the table his keys sat on? His claws had scraped into the furniture, the cheap gloss of the wood wounded. Kagome was standing before him now, her makeup-less face shadowed from the darkened room. He could make her out, though. Even if he couldn't see very well at the moment, concern rolled off of her like irate waves of an ocean.

"Is everything okay?" She asked, caressing up and down his arm, the small amount of friction building heat within his coat. Inuyasha sighed out, trying to find his bearings but they were nowhere in sight. Those images collided with the circumstances at hand had done him in. The reality of the situation was dire. Critical. Kagome was in so much fucking danger. He clenched his fists, still trying to build a facade, lips twitching. She was scared enough as it was, why would he add his own trepidation to the weight on her shoulders?

But he couldn't do it. His nails were pinching into his palms, harder and harder. His chest was squeezing against him, inward, feeling as if his ribcage was collapsing against his lungs. The unavoidable thought of Kagome lost, gone, taken, hurt, lids open with lackluster irises, the pink on her cheeks whenever she grew flustered or excited washed away, still, her life stolen.

It was too goddamn much.

"Inuyasha?"

His hands hovered around her shoulders, a ghost of a touch, fingers curling around the sides of her neck as he reached her warm flesh. Slowly, his spine curved, allowing their foreheads to press together, the heat from her capturing him entirely. There was a hitch in her breathing, a small gasp maybe, and he wanted to cling to her for dear life as he felt her muscles tense beneath him.

"Please don't," He spoke, voice more broken than intended. "Please don't pull away."

Something was wrong. Kagome had never seen him this way, never felt this quiver in his muscles. He was crumbling when she'd always seen him try to be the hero at all hours of the day. Even if you'd had a nightmare while sharing the same bed with him, Inuyasha was there to fight those fears away. It seemed, though, as he leaned more weight on her, breathing unsteadily, fingers threading into the hair at the nape of her neck, he was living a nightmare right now, searching for something to feel that could bring him home. What could possibly bring a man like him down? He was unquenchable fire, burning through the night to light your torch and scorch your enemies. He was a beautiful midnight storm, thunder blaring overhead that ironically calmed your nerves. Yet, right now, Inuyasha was scared. That was it. He was nothing more than scared.

"What happened?" She whispered. He shook his head against hers.

"Are you hurt?" She tried again, and again he shook his head.

"Talk to me."

He sniffled, and she could have sworn it was the kind where he was fighting off tears. Her half demon was deteriorating before her and she wasn't doing anything to help. Tired of holding back, tired of the stupid, invisible boundary that wasn't doing any good right now, Kagome broke his hold on her, wrapping her arms around his neck to clutch him. His own arms flung around her waist, hoisting her up slightly, crushing her to his chest. He buried his face in her neck, his exhale choppy and steaming.

"I just need you with me right now, okay?" It was muffled, but still clear. "Please don't pull away. I need you, Kagome."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, before jumping right in, I wanted to give a warning about some of the sensitive material to expect. There's descriptions of dead bodies, mentions of drugs, and a bit of violence up ahead.Nothing is horribly graphic, I promise!

**Abi Phoenix's Residence**

The creak from the rusty gate's hinges echoed in the night, the sound eerie and torturous to the senses. Even as a human, Hojo could tell something was horribly wrong as they slowly made their way around the weed-inhabited, untended walkway at the side of the house, leading to the front door. Mindfully, he pushed his coat aside so that his hand could sit on the grip of his gun, sparing his partner a small glance so that she knew to be prepared for anything. Something told him he should have known Sango was one step ahead of him, as per usual. In fact, the pistol was already in her grasp, the muzzle aimed at the ground as she gave a curt nod to him.

The windows were dark, curtains from within making it impossible to see inside. Hojo began to slow, signaling to his partner behind him to stop. He could see from his angle that the door was ajar. It was a distressing mixture of ice and flames that licked through his bloodstream, his heartbeat beginning to drum, the rhythm growing bolder behind his ribcage. He slid the gun from its holster, squeezing the grip as he continued on and stepped up the single step of the porch. He could feel Sango's presence literally inches behind him. Carefully, he nudged the door open with his shoulder, extending his arms in front of him as soon as the entrance was widely accessible, pistol at the ready and leading the way.

Very little light trickled in from the street lamps outside, shadows crawling and creeping over the majority of the home, so both he and Sango retrieved their flashlights, clicking them on as soon as they were level over the barrel. The home was in complete disarray. Dishes were piled up in the sink and over the surrounding counters, the trash looked like it hadn't been taken out for months, floors were grimy, and junk was stacked and crammed all over the house. As Hojo swung his light over the filthy counters in the kitchen, roaches fled from immediate sight. This wasn't signs of a break in. This was signs of negligence. Possibly hoarding, as well. The detective fought off the urge to grumble in disgust.

"Hojo." Sango called from somewhere not too far down the hall. Immediately, he headed her way, a powerful stench tainting his nostrils the further he went. His face scrunched into a grimace as he grunted, unable to cover his nose with both hands occupied.

"What is that?" He whispered. The house hadn't been cleared yet so it was still important they remain quiet, though it seemed pretty obvious no one was home. Or, at least, no one _should_ be in a place like this.

"I don't know, but my guess is it's coming from one of these rooms." She used her flashlight to illuminate the two doors, both of which were just barely hanging open.

Nodding, Hojo stepped before her, inching toward the closest door. His partner, staying by his side, checked down the hall to their left, the bright light flicking from corner to corner until she was satisfied with their evident lack of company. The smell was putrid; something he'd never encountered before in his life. There wasn't a single hint of resemblance he'd be able to pick out from the odor that would help him describe it to anyone who may ask what caused his stomach to churn or his eyes to water in this manner. And as he reached the door and pushed it open, it became so overwhelmingly powerful he had a hard time swallowing the bile that threatened to lurch through his esophagus.

Holding his breath, he quickly flung his flashlight about the room, searching for the source of the smell. The bedroom was crowded and cluttered with junk and objects, a walking path nonexistent to anyone who wasn't perfectly familiar with their surroundings. On the bed, there was a large, unmoving lump. Sango tried to pinch his coat through her busy hands, a whispered warning slipping from her lips, but he ignored her, stepping through to shine his light on the decomposing body of an elderly woman.

The cramp in his lungs quickly became too much, and suddenly Hojo was inhaling the worst breath of his life. Immediately, he heaved dryly, the burning sensation short-lived as his mouth filled with vomit and he turned and ran back to the hall quick enough to puke away from the victim.

Sango stepped back with a violent shudder. Quickly, maneuvering past Hojo's crumpled, hurling form, she stepped to the second bedroom, kicking it open to reveal the decaying body of a young woman sprawled along the floor of her untidy bedroom. She could feel her stomach growing weaker, the lump in her throat building until she gave a weak gag and turned away.

Unclipping the bulky walkie talkie from her belt, Sango called in a code, alerting units of the bodies within the house as Hojo stumbled further away from the bedrooms, still doubled over and clutching his abdomen.

—

"Three weeks?"

"I'd estimate, yes." The coroner nodded, guiding Sango and Hojo back into the house and towards the bedroom. Windows had been opened, lights had been turned on, and the two were given Vaporub to generously apply on their upper lip which would help fend off the awful odors that had brought them down before. As they reached the beginning of the hall, the three of them idled at the edge of the living room, allowing two officials to pass with a stretcher and bodybag containing the remains of the elderly woman.

"What's the cause of death?" Hojo asked.

"For the mother, it was a simple gun shot to the head. She was ill and bed-ridden, so there didn't seem to be a struggle. Though, her decomposition was a bit more advanced than Abi's." Ayame answered, waiting patiently as they slowly wheeled her through.

"What does that mean?"

"It means, she died at least a day beforehand. Abi wasn't so lucky. From the looks of her condition, she was tortured for hours before she was killed. And there's something else you'll want to see, follow me."

The two detectives followed the woman down the hall, still able to catch minor whiffs of the rancid odor left behind, but nothing that debilitated their senses anymore. Taking the small curve in the hall, they stepped into Abi's bedroom, her body in the same spot as when Sango had first seen her. Now that the room was properly illuminated by both the ceiling light and tripod lamps provided by the investigators, the pool of blood staining the carpet around her body was clearly visible. Bruises and lacerations decorated her thin body like ornaments on a Christmas tree, poking through her torn and stained clothing.

Ayame knelt down next to Abi's body, handing both Hojo and she a pair of latex gloves. Her own hands were already covered in the material as she set to showing them details of her markings beginning at the dark blue and purple line across her neck.

"So, I've done a little digging into your perp's old files. Looks like old habits die hard; strangulation is still part of his M.O., _but_ it wasn't her cause of death. If you look closely, you can see several different contusions along her neck created by what I would guess to be a thin wire of some sort. Some are darker than others, so I'm thinking he would cut off her air passage as a way to scare and torment her, then continue on with his other tactics." Her hands drifted down towards Abi's legs. "There's no evidence of rape, which also fits this guy's typical M.O.. He's never once raped a woman or child, but there is a bit of bruising on her inner thighs that I find peculiar, along with a bite mark here just above her knee. What's important here is-"

"He left his DNA behind." Sango finished, mouth hung slightly agape.

"Exactly. I've already sent in a sample, so we should have solid confirmation of who did this shortly. Do you think he's getting sloppy?"

"No, this was intentional. He must have known we were onto him." Hojo said, gently moving aside the woman's black hair to inspect a bruise on her forehead.

"But how?" Sango asked, shifting her disconcerted gaze from the red-headed doctor to her blue-eyed partner. "This happened about three weeks ago, right? We only found out about Naraku escaping two days ago, and Inuyasha's hunch was the day before that. I agree that this was deliberate. He knows what he's doing. The only mistake recorded was his incidental slip with Abi so many years ago, leading to his downfall."

"Do you think that was on purpose?" Hojo asked.

"No. I think that was a legitimate overshare. He's a good criminal, but he's not perfect. The thing is, we didn't know about him this long ago so why would he leave behind his DNA?"

"Wait," Ayame spoke, green eyes shadowed by her furrowed brow. "The neighbors mentioned to the investigators outside that it wasn't strange to not see Abi or her mother for weeks on end. As I previously mentioned, her mother was ill. Abi was her sole caretaker, and they didn't get out much - if ever. The windows were sealed tight, and the only way for most of the smell of their decay to leak was through the crack in the front door. If it were Summer, their deterioration would have been accelerated causing the smell to grow stronger and travel, and the neighbors no doubt would have called it in, but with how cold it's been and how spread out the neighborhoods around here are, they never smelled it at all."

"And since no one was able to alert the authorities given the circumstances, the only other reason for us to check Miss Phoenix's household was if he was already a suspect." Hojo added. He looked at his partner who was already staring back at him, her dark eyes direct and serious.

"He wanted us to know." Sango said.

"Yeah. It's like he's three steps ahead of us."

"He's had a seven month head start. It makes sense."

"Koga wasn't kidding... you guys really are dealing with a twisted murderer."

"A twisted psychopath is more I like it. What killed her?" Sango asked, sighing out and shaking her head, her long, brown ponytail spilling over her shoulder as she following Ayame's fingers.

"One stab wound to the right side of her chest, and three to her abdomen. She bled out slowly." She answered, moving aside Abi's clothing to make the lacerations visible to them. "There's - uh - one more thing, though."

"What?"

"I'm gonna warn you, it's a real kicker." Ayame seemed nervous as she rose to a stand, her fingers fidgeting before she clenched them into a fist. The two detectives stood as well, waiting for the coroner to guide them. She took in a deep breath, giving them an uncertain look before swallowing so thickly it was audible and gesturing for them to follow her to the master bathroom.

The large mirror above the sink and adjacent walls were decorated with dozens of taped-up polaroids, causing Sango's skin to crawl madly. She moved in closer, fully taking in the photographed people, her stomach plummeting to the floor. It was all of them. Pictures of herself walking just outside her townhouse, getting dinner, with her younger brother, on a scene with Hojo. Koga and Ayame walking hand-in-hand. Hojo with his mother outside of the holistic pharmacy she ran, drinking in a coffee shop sitting across from another male. Inuyasha with a woman she'd never seen before, her long, black hair glistening even in the low-quality image. These photos and more littered the bathroom, making her feel sicker than she had when they'd first discovered the dead bodies.

Cautiously, Hojo plucked a photo from the edge of the wall to his right, slowly handing it over to Sango. She tried to hide her shudder, tried to bite back the tense exhale that burned her throat but couldn't, the image of her and their team Psychologist, Miroku, kissing on his porch step, door opened behind them as they were about to enter was now evidence in their case.

"Looks like we all get to feel a little bit of what Inuyasha's been going through now." Ayame sullenly mentioned.

"Does Koga know yet?" Hojo asked.

"Are you kidding? He's the last person I plan on alerting. I need to give myself a chance to get my job done before he becomes my full-time, temperamental watch dog and distracts me." She said, shaking her head as she left them to finish up.

"I know what's going through your head." Hojo quietly said now that he and his partner were alone. Sango, staring at the pictures in front of her, shook her head and gave a breathy laugh, one that described how high her stress levels had climbed in the recent minutes. "How long?"

"A few months."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because at no point did I ever think he and I would become something serious." Still, she avoided eye contact.

"Have you?"

"This picture is from last Friday." She chuckled again. "I've been staying over at his house lately because this case gives me the creeps. So, yeah. I guess you can say he and I have gotten pretty serious."

"Sango-"

"Don't! There's so many important things that needed to be focused on at the moment, I thought it could wait. I never once considered that you, or Koga, or I, or even Ayame would be caught in the crosshairs of this mess. And now, so is he." She responded, piercing him with a daring stare before pulling her cell phone out of her back pocket and exiting the room.

**SVU Precinct**

The team stood around stiffly, awkwardly, leaning against tables, or sitting with their knees bobbing. It was obnoxiously quiet in the precinct, the early hours of the morning from their sleepless night making it all even worse. Slight scuffling in the background from officers passing through was easily and oddly muffled by their tense breathing and irritable mannerisms.

"So," Sango spoke, applying most of her upper body weight to the table in front of her, Hojo standing along the corner only a few feet away. "Who want's to be the one to say it?"

"Say what?" Inuyasha asked sternly, knowing damn well they were alluding to something pertaining to him.

"I'll fucking do it." Koga volunteered from his seat at the other end of the office.

"Oh, no. Not you." Sango shook her head, stopping him just as he'd directed his deadly stare towards his partner.

"Why the hell not!?"

"No offense, but you're not the best at breaking things to Inuyasha nicely. Especially when you're in a mood." Hojo claimed.

"Can you guys not talk about me as if I'm not here?" Inuyasha growled.

"The mood is justifiable!"

"I'll just do it." Sango rolled her eyes.

"Why would you ask if you're just gonna-"

"Sango!" Totosai called as he entered the precinct. His tone was severe, lips curved downward as he beckoned her to follow him into his office. Hojo was the only person to keep a flat reaction, his eyes falling to the wood. The other two stared curiously, eyes burning a hole through her back.

"On second thought, how about you do the honors?" She mentioned to Hojo as she walked away.

Totosai waited at the door, throwing it shut the moment the detective was through. She stood behind the chairs, clutching the back of one as her captain heatedly stomped over to his desk, dropping a thick file down before speaking. "I expect stupid things from Inuyasha and Koga. I expect stupid things from Hakkaku and Ginta. Hell, I would expect something stupid from Hojo before I'd suspect something _this_ idiotic from _you_. Do you know how bad it looks that I can't keep my team in line? It's like I have to babysit you lot and make sure you're doing things by the book! It makes this department look like it's full of amateurs, myself included!"

She stayed quiet, accepting the verbal punishment she was receiving.

"How long has this been going on? No, wait. I don't want to know. What I do want to know is why you wouldn't immediately tell me?"

"In retrospect, sir, I thought it could wait." She answered honestly.

"You know better, detective. When two members of the forces are in a relationship, it needs to be reported. You know damn well that I have no choice but to bring this to Internal Affairs - the very people we've been trying to avoid due to the circumstances of this case!"

Sango winced, a measured guilt weighing on her chest. "Can they actually take the case from us now, though? It was originally an SVU investigation that's just been reopened."

"You know very well that they can."

"That can't happen! Inuyasha's counting on us! I won't see Miroku again, I-I'll remove myself from the case! Problem solved!"

"And then I'd be left with two accessible detectives." Totosai sighed.

"It's better than losing the case!"

"Is it?"

"Yes! This is my fault! I'll take the fall, but don't let it affect anyone else! Don't let them take it!"

"Detective-"

"What do you want me to do? How do I fix this?"

He paused, rubbing his temples before plopping down in his seat, rolling backward slightly from the force. The silence was agonizing to Sango, the round clock on the wall behind her ticking so loud she could have sworn there was an echo. She watched as her captain's buggy eyes looked away, studying the far wall to his right as his nails tapped his head in beat with the passing seconds. Her palms were sweaty and slippery against the wood of the seat she clasped, and her breathing increased in anticipation as the click of his tongue signified he was about to speak. Leaning forward an inch or two, the elderly man pulled four polaroids from the front pocket of his shirt, tossing them on his desk for Sango to retrieve, all of which were images of her and Miroku together.

"I snagged them before they were officially submitted into evidence. You better hope we catch this bastard before he releases more photos of you two together, or else you and I will receive the ass chewing of a lifetime. And count your blessings, Sango. I won't be able to cover for you like this again. Keep everything with Miroku on the down-low for now. We'll figure it out later."

She nodded thankfully, snatching the pictures up and shoving them into her pocket. Totosai motioned to the door, excusing her as he ducked his head into his file of paperwork. Hastily, she did as instructed. Her captain had a bad habit of making people sweat before coming clean and letting them know they were off the hook. She'd never once been on the receiving end of it, and hopefully never would be again.

Shutting the door behind her, she rejoined the group, the air about them slightly less dense than before but still murky; the exact opposite of what she'd been expecting.

"What was all that about?" Koga asked, using her as an obvious change to the subject they were speaking.

"Oh, nothing." Sango quickly answered. "Just some paperwork I'd made a mistake on. What's up?"

Inuyasha gave a rough groan and stood from his seat, walking around the corner with exerted control over his demeanor. "I'm getting some coffee."

"Turns out," Hojo spoke as soon as Inuyasha disappeared around the corner. "The woman pictured with Inuyasha is actually his ex."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. I'm surprised he was willing to say anything about her. Even I hardly know his personal shit." Koga mentioned, walking up to join them so they wouldn't have to converse loudly.

"I guess she has a history with drugs. She was clean and healthy for a good while, and during that time she and Inuyasha dated. Toward the end of August, she relapsed and left him." Hojo said.

"So, if you think about it, Naraku really didn't waste time in tracking down Inuyasha." Sango pointed out.

"Not at all."

"Is there more?"

"Yup, but it's more for drama, less for the case." Koga smirked.

"Go on."

"Looks like she reappeared at his door around November or December. She was asking for money and jonesing hard. He took her in to help her break the habit, all the while he and Kagome were whatever the hell they were. Kagome came over without warning, saw his ex, and peaced the fuck out."

"Oh, so _that's_ what happened."

"Guys, he's gonna come around the corner any minute now and hear us gossiping." Hojo warned.

"Alright, so big issue here is he has no idea where his ex is now." Koga continued, lowering his voice. "She left in the middle of the night, and as far as Inuyasha knew, she hadn't completely recovered. He's checked the system religiously over the last however many months, and she hasn't turned up arrested or dead. Now that this picture's turned up, he's obviously going to be worried that this sick creep has gotten to her."

"Geez, this guy can't catch a break. Not that it's relevant, but how long did they date."

"Not sure. Couldn't have been too long, but that doesn't stop a guy like him from caring." Koga replied.

"How do we help?"

"You can't." Inuyasha remarked bluntly, reentering the room with a steaming mug. "There's more important things for you to concentrate on."

"Inuyasha-"

"Let it go." He said with a hint of finality.

"You want answers, don't you?" Koga crossed his arms over his chest, following the half demon to his desk.

"What, like you're capable of giving them to me?"

"What's your deal with not accepting peoples' help? Why are you so headstrong?" Sango asked, a sting of acid in her tone. "You were so bent out of shape when Kagome didn't want your help, but you sit here and do the same thing with us. She, at least, had a reason to resent you. What's your excuse?"

Inuyasha winced, words escaping him as he stared back into her dangerous glare. "It's… none of your business."

"Maybe you're right, but you know what _is?_ Kagome's safety. The case, and her well-being, are technically our responsibility." She declared, gesturing back and forth between her and Hojo with her finger. "The more you're distracted by your ex-girlfriend's potential involvement, the more chances we have of your focus slipping."

"What the hell are you saying?" Inuyasha growled, placing his cup on the desk before stepping toward her.

"I'm saying," Sango challenged, echoing his motion and stepping inward. He stood only a few inches taller than her, and although he had demon blood, she'd learned over the years that that wasn't anything she couldn't personally take. "We can't allow that. It's time for you to grow up. You want to handle things on your own, but look how well you're doing so far. You've been looking for how long now?"

He didn't answer, slanted ember eyes daring her to proceed. So she did.

"How long, Inuyasha?"

"Four months."

"Since the day she left, I bet. Maybe we can get you answers you weren't capable of finding on your own, maybe we can't. That's not the point. What matters is that at the end of the day, you'll _finally_ be able to say you put your best foot forward and exercised all of your resources for once in your adult life. So do me a freaking favor and write down her name, last known contact information and address so we can get the ball rolling, because unlike you, we don't have time to waste." Sango pushed passed him, grabbing a sticky note pad and pen and slamming them on the face of his desk as incentive. For a moment, he only stared at her incredulously, but she didn't budge or falter. Her expression was unapologetic as her deep brown eyes looked straight through him. Giving in, he pulled out his phone and wrote down the contact information he had saved, sliding the pad toward her hand and without a word, she peeled the note free, shrugged her brows carelessly, pushed passed him once more, and stomped out the doors to the precinct, her partner following behind with an annoying look of amusement.

—

It was several hours before Sango and Hojo sauntered back through the doorway, their lips curving solemnly. Koga had been waiting to head out with Totosai to check in with Naraku's parents, dropping his feet from the top of his desk at the same time that Inuyasha stood from his own as they marched in.

"No, don't fucking tell me you found her _that_ quickly."

"We didn't find her, no." Hojo admitted. "But we do know she's alive."

"How!? Where is she!?"

"We don't know, exactly, but-" Sango said, her tone much softer than before.

"Then how do you know!?"

"Let them talk!" Koga barked, efficiently shutting his partner up.

"As I'm sure you're aware, her number is disconnected and she's no longer at the address you gave me. So, we blew up the photo of you two in evidence and took to the streets. Hojo surprisingly has a couple of connections with some undercover agents from his own time as one, and they were willing to help." She could see the effort on Inuyasha's face as he kept it as straight as possible and swallowed his questions for later. "There's a few well-known dealers downtown if you know where to look, and it's guaranteed they won't want to speak to a cop, so that's where Hojo's buddies came in. One of these dealers recognized Kikyo, and told us to hit up a woman named Hitomiko and let us know where to find her; that she'd know her whereabouts since they were close."

"Hitomiko runs a church-based shelter not too far from his location." Hojo picked up. "She's a nun. Turns out, Kikyo would often stay at the shelter after she'd lost her place. Hitomiko was apprehensive about talking with us at first, but after showing her the picture of both of you and proving to her that you were a detective we worked with and you only wanted to know she was okay, she gave in."

"Inuyasha, Kikyo's in rehab." Sango said, a small smile gracing her lips. "She left town and started over in a completely different timezone. She calls Hitomiko to check in whenever she's allowed to make phone calls, and their last conversation was on Wednesday - she figured you'd want that last little bit of validation. Kikyo's gonna be fine. And yes, it was _that_ easy."

Inuyasha could feel the tension in his muscles slowly easing, deflating almost. It was like a huge weight had finally been lifted from his shoulders. Physical evidence would soothe him all the more, but it wasn't attainable and that was something he could accept. What was important was that she was okay. She was seeking treatment. She was far from Naraku. He didn't have to worry about her getting caught up in this mess; he figured if he did, the bastard would have been rubbing his nose in it all along with just as many polaroids as he'd sent of Kagome. But he hadn't. The one today served as nothing more than a reminder, maybe even a taunting message, and hopefully that's how it would remain.

Already, he felt his mind growing less muddled with endless thoughts of protecting someone he physically couldn't. Sango was right. He needed to concentrate on the one woman that deserved his undivided attention right now. There was still a part of him that wanted to ask for more; what timezone was she in? What facility was housing her? How was she fairing with money if she was in a shelter just before? But he bit his tongue. None of it was his business. As much as he cared, as much as he worried, Kikyo was still his ex-girlfriend. All he needed to know was that she was safe. The rest he could let go of.

"Thank you."

**Inuyasha's Residence**

The water ran hot as Kagome scrubbed the dishes clean, acknowledging what Inuyasha said from the other room with a simple hum. He'd recovered from the other night without a word of what had plagued his mind, and she couldn't help but still be worried. She tried not to show it around him. His plate was full, _and_ he'd taken her in on top of it all. Maybe he was just stressed or tired, but she felt like it had to be something more. Something terrifying.

She'd stopped asking what was wrong after he admitted he needed her. Though talking about your problems usually helps alleviate pain, even she could admit that sometimes it did the exact opposite and could even potentially make it so much worse.

They stood by the entryway table for a while, then she slowly began to back up, adhering to his request and never parting, guiding him to his large mattress that sat just beyond the open living room area. He never resisted, completely trusting her until she had reversed their places so the back of his knees would graze the bed. Inuyasha had stood up straight just then and gazed down at her, the air of him slightly reserved but still pleading for something as he brushed the backs of his fingers up and down the skin of her arms. Kagome hadn't really made a plan; she'd only thought it would be better to get him into bed considering how he was acting and the time of night. In all honesty, she didn't know what to do. All she understood was that she absolutely hated seeing him this way, and if he was going to do so much to protect her, she could try and do whatever the hell she could to protect him from what he was going through.

Wordlessly and carefully, Kagome pushed the jacket from his shoulders, allowing him to slowly shimmy it off and drop it to the floor away to the side. She pulled the badge free from his belt and set it on the nightstand, cautiously looking from the gun holster on his side, to his eyes, then back as she reached for it. Surprisingly, Inuyasha never stopped her, allowing her to lift the entire thing up to unclip then very gently place it beside his badge. Her fingers fiddled with the buttons of his dress shirt, working her way down and pulling the wrinkled ends out from the confinements of his pants. He didn't need instigation that time; he pulled at the bottom of the grey sleeves, removing his shirt and dropping it away from them.

"Lay down." Kagome whispered. Inuyasha toed his shoes off and sat on the edge of the mattress, his ember eyes glowing within the shadowed walls of his bedroom. His hands idled on his thighs, clenching into weakly-formed fists then relaxing open again, and then drifted across to her legs to pull her a few inches forward to stand between his own.

"Kagome-"

"I'm not going anywhere." She promised softly, reaching over to undo the knot at the crown of his head. His long silver hair fluttered down his back and she threaded her fingers through to smooth out the crease, watching his eyes close briefly as he finally began to relax.

"Just a little bit longer." He murmured, ducking his stare nervously, his fingers gliding to the backs of her thighs.

"As long as you need."

He gave her a nudge and she following his lead without thought, bringing one knee over his thigh, then the other to completely straddle. There was a moment as they sat there, the bouncing light from the television hardly reaching their corner, the night still and silent, that a magnetic force began drawing her in. She'd fought against the current relentlessly for weeks that now that she'd finally given in, she'd realized she'd been so afraid of drowning when in actuality she was able to take her first breath of fresh air in who knows how long. It was almost liberating. Even as her lips dangerously hovered just an inch or so above his mouth, so close that his features blurred, compelling her to gently drag the tips of her fingers over his bottom lip and chin.

Inuyasha inhaled through his nose as he clutched her close at her waist, hoisting her up slightly as he supported her weight while climbing backward on the bed, turning them both on their sides as their heads reached the pillows. Shimmying downward, Inuyasha nuzzled into her chest just below her chin, his breath hot against the bare skin exposed from her loose, v-neck top. His hands pushed inside of the material, rubbing up her back to keep her where he needed, his ear giving a minute twitch as she sighed out comfortably.

For hours, she stayed with him like that, gently massaging his scalp to soothe away tension, incorporating her nails here and there just because she knew he loved that. She even found herself placing her lips to his head at certain points, unable to stop the old habit from resurfacing. Not _wanting_ to stop the old habit from resurfacing. He'd fallen asleep fairly quickly, his hold on her slackening, but she couldn't peel herself away. Not from lack of trying, but from the selfish desire to retain this peace for as long as physically possible, forcing herself to stay awake as long as she could so she could consciously live in the quiet moment where the dangers that haunted them ceased to exist.

She'd woken up early the next morning to the half demon carefully removing himself from their embrace, whispering for her to go back to sleep as he pulled a blanket over her body. She'd rubbed her eyes and asked where he was going, her voice just short of a whine from sleep, and he responded with a soft smile, pushed the hair in her face behind her ear, pressed a kiss to her head, and whispered once more that he was heading to work.

In the last two days, everything seemed comfortable and normal. He was either feeling better, or was swallowing his stress very well, which was the exact opposite of what she'd wanted. Obviously, she'd prefer he'd open up and let her in, but she couldn't blame him for being apprehensive when they'd had a wedge between them for too long. Not to mention, she understood that he would always be guarded when it came to discussing work matters. That didn't stop her from worrying that there was still something weighing down his mind; that something might bring him crashing down once more.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?"

Kagome looked over her shoulder as she tumbled out of her thoughts, noticing the half demon stomping forward. A mischievous and playful giggle escaped her as she turned her body to try and block his view as she rinsed the soapy plate in hand as quickly as possible.

"I told you I'd do the dishes, you dummy!" He barked, using his hip to try and push her out of the way.

"Whoops! Sorry, all done!" She beamed, stretching across him to place the last dish on the drying rack.

He kept pushing her aside, dipping his hands in the still-running faucet and flicking water at her, making her laugh as she failed to block her face. "I've never met anyone who doesn't take up an offer to have the dishes done for them."

"You're doing the exact same thing now!"

"You cooked dinner, I should wash the dishes! That's the way it goes!" Inuyasha flicked water at her one last time before cutting the stream.

"Oh, hush."

"That's the way it's been with us since the very beginning."

"Maybe so, but you're doing enough for me at the moment." Kagome said, her tone taking on a small air of seriousness. She could feel her cheeks flush warmly as she averted her eyes to the side, suddenly finding herself too nervous to directly look at him. "You're letting me stay here, and you've been making sure I'm taken care of. The least I can do is the chores."

"No." He gave a half smile, fully facing her as she leaned against the counter near the stove, crossing his arms as he confidently cocked a brow. "It's not your responsibility."

"And I'm not yours."

"No, you're not." His charisma never faltered, even as he took a step closer. "I protect you because I want to. You know why that is?"

Kagome's face felt uncomfortably hot as she stared at his defined forearms directly in front of her, subconsciously wishing he'd relax them and come even closer. And even as her wish surprisingly came true, and the half demon caged her against the marble counter, ember eyes sultry and beautiful, her nerves flared and her mind became muddled and she realized that her subconscience was a dangerous tool.

"You - uh - didn't want Naraku to hurt me." She managed to answer.

"More than that."

"Then why?"

Inuyasha smiled again, a breathy chuckle brushing passed his lips. "You know why, Kagome." His voice rumbled.

He pushed himself from the counter, exiting the kitchen.

Kagome stood there, mouth hung slightly agape as he disappeared from sight. When did this happen? When had she fallen down this hole again? When had she become so completely submerged in this guy that there was no need nor desire to find the safest route out? Was it the other night when she'd finally let go of all reservations? Sure, probably. That made sense. More importantly, though, did she even have the right to feel this way after everything that had happened? Maybe it was just one of the side effects of being a victim. He was her knight in shining armor, after all. She'd been so vulnerable that maybe, just maybe, the safety he was engulfing her in was enough to confuse her emotions.

Then again, she knew what it felt like to love him. And this - this sensation that overwhelmed her mind and sent a thunderous wash over her heart - was achingly familiar.

Did she have the right?

Was it still okay to love Inuyasha?

Kagome had no control over her body as she stepped away from the counter, her bare feet softly patting against the wooden floor.

Was the timing wrong?

She followed his path.

Would he turn her away?

Did he feel the same?

What was she even doing?

Inuyasha stepped around the corner of his bedroom donning a wife beater and some sweats, freezing in his tracks as the intensity of her brown eyes sent a riveting chill down his body.

As much as she tried to reason with herself, there was no stopping. Not even as it became much harder to breathe steadily, or even as unsolicited tears burned at the base of her eyes. Kagome's legs, though slow, kept moving until the two of them stood only inches apart. She waited to observe the body language he'd respond with. He'd stiffened a little, but didn't move aside in the slightest. In fact, when she reached to touch his upper arms, her fingers skimming over the shading of the large tattoo she hardly noticed from how acquainted she was with his skin, he welcomed her in, gently clutching the backs of her elbows to keep her there.

"You okay?" Inuyasha asked.

"I'm not sure, maybe a little crazy."

"What's new?"

She smiled, relaxing against him as she finally built the nerve to slowly press up on the balls of her feet. "Please-" Her breath hitched, interrupting until she gathered herself once more. "Please, don't pull away. Not yet." Kagome whispered.

Carefully, languidly, she pressed her lips to his, the fluttering within her stomach easily dying off as warmth flushed through and calmed her system. She came back down to her heels, sighing out shakily as she blinked her eyes open. There was a part of her that wondered if she should let him go, and just as she tried to deduce what may have been going through Inuyasha's mind at that moment, he released her elbow and threaded his fingers through the raven hair at her temple, pushing back her waves and gently grasping the locks at the back of her head, tilting her chin up with a small pull to meet his gaze.

"I don't want you thinking for a single second that I'd _ever_ pull away from you." He said, his voice husky and undeviating as he curved down to kiss her again.

He started soft, absolutely no haste behind the fluidity of his lips. It was like a spark hitting kindling, slowly catching and building, eating the material that withered away mercilessly just so it could stand a chance to climb and scorch the tower of wood standing above it, igniting heat and light, growing, growing, growing, growing. Inuyasha pushed against Kagome, spinning her around to back her against the wall he once stood in front of. He refused to release her silky hair from between his fingers, refused to travel away from the smoothness of her cheek, kissing her harder as he found himself afraid that it'd end. She was just as fervent, her hands pulling at the thin shirt over his torso, wrapping around his waist to bring him in closer, the wife beater bunching up at the sides as she reached under to feel his flesh. He breathed her in, the flames that built in the pit they stood in licking through his veins, fueling him as his tongue swiftly grazed her bottom lip only to bring him painfully crashing down as his work phone erupted from across the room.

"Fuck!" The half demon hissed after breaking apart, hovering above her mouth with the reigning threat that he'd ignore the call just to feel her kiss-swollen lips again and again and again. Kagome pressed up, kissing him slowly, bringing an involuntary rumble from the depths of his chest.

"Answer your phone." She whispered.

"No." He kissed her again.

"Answer it."

How the hell was he supposed to comply when she was making it so fucking hard to be more than two inches away? Her spine was curving to press more firmly into him with each kiss, and he couldn't stop himself from moving his hands to her waist to feel the way she arched.

"If it's Koga, he'll just call again."

He groaned, hating that she was right. Hating that he had to give up his hold on her. Hating that he was now marching across the room to answer a stupid call from stupid work that was going to make him go to a stupid job when all the stupid people he worked with avidly told him he should be at home with Kagome.

"What?" Inuyasha harshly answered the blaring cell.

There was a moment where Kagome watched Inuyasha listening to the details he was given, his lips pressing into a thin line as he exasperatedly shut his eyes.

"Why the hell would I go with Ginta? Where the hell is Hakkak-" A pause. " _Of course_ he is. Yeah, fine, text me the address."

"Gotta go?" Kagome asked as he hung up, biting her bottom lip.

"I'm sorry," He shook his head disbelievingly. "It'll be quick, though. I promise. Just a house run to check in. Since everyone's working on our case, I have to pitch in with some of the rookies and-"

"It's okay." She giggled.

"It'll be quick." He swore again, his expression serious.

"Even if it's not, I'm not going anywhere."

He nodded, like he'd gotten an answer to a question he'd wanted to ask, and crossed the living room, passing her by to enter his bedroom. She didn't follow or move from her spot, knowing he was changing into work-appropriate attire. As he emerged, he curved around her, gently pushing some hair behind her ear as he placed a scant kiss to her forehead.

"Call me if you need anything."

"I will."

"I'll be back."

"See you."

He locked the door on his way out, the loud click of the heavy bolt securing her within his home.

—

Kagome gently pat her cheeks as she finished her evening routine, her skin glowing from the sheen of the creamy night moisturizer she'd just finished applying, turning out the light as she exited the bathroom. There was an eeriness in the silence and dim-lighting that unsettled her in Inuyasha's apartment, something she never seemed to notice while he was around, bringing her to recognize she was inside her own mind again. She turned on the tv to break the quiet as she unfolded the quilt on the head of the couch to prepare for bed, making everything as cozy as possible for herself. Before bundling in, she headed to the kitchen for a glass of water, the grinding sound of a key in the bolt grabbing her attention at the edge of the room.

It had only been thirty minutes since he'd left, but she couldn't help the smile that grew on her face as she watched the knob turn and the door open.

"You weren't kidding when you said it'd be qu-"

"Hello, beautiful." The arrogant, thin-lipped grin of the pale man from the coffee shop beamed at her from the doorway, stealing her breath as she notably felt her expression fall.

As if he belonged, the man closed the door behind him, his thin, black ponytail swaying with his steps. His smile never gave, nor did his menacing stare, as he dug into the front pocket of his black jeans and pulled out a gold key, slapping it on the face of the entryway table. "Thought I'd give back the master key to your apartment. Looks like the boss man forgot to return it to your landlord sometime ago. He never noticed it was missing, did he?" He asked, a smugness radiating from his tone.

Kagome didn't say anything. She couldn't as the wrenching fear crawling through her body steadily switched her mind into fight or flight mode. How did he get in? How was he here? This was the one place she was safest, and he had just waltzed in as if he was a cosigner on the lease. In answer to her silent question, he raised the key he'd entered with, wagging the metal gloatingly.

"I'll admit, this one was a little trickier to get considering he keeps his spare at work."

Her brown eyes flickered across the room, swiftly landing on her cellphone she'd left on the end table by the couch, then back to the man's slanted, violet eyes. His smile grew wider, more toothy, and she knew she hadn't been casual enough.

"Nah-ah-ahhh…" He taunted, beginning his walk toward her. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

She dove as fast as she could, reaching for the phone but falling incredibly short as she was violently knocked down by the demon's unbridled strength and speed. He'd said something more as he grabbed a handful of her hair - something mocking - just as she was trying to stand, easily throwing her to the side and further from her phone, but she didn't hear it through the thumping sound in her ears. There wasn't one thing Kagome could concentrate on in that moment; no action plan she could logically create. The only thing she could manage was flailing her body to make it impossible for him to dominate, kicking and twisting her hips to make it too difficult for him to fully straddle her.

The man punched her in the cheek as he grew frustrated, trying to still her, and as fatigued as she was quickly becoming, she didn't give up. Thankfully, his palms had grown sweaty in their struggle and the arm he'd gripped slipped free. With as much might as she could muster considering their proximity, she flung a clenched fist at his face, smacking him in the jaw with the side where her curled fingers met her palm, her wrist stinging slightly from the impact.

He lost his balance and fell to the side, scampering after Kagome as she hastily crawled away from him on her hands and knees. She felt his nails scratch her lower back as he tried to grab onto the hem of her pajama shorts, his claws digging into the back of her thigh as he missed. She yelped, kicking back and hitting what she guessed was his sternum or diaphragm from the sound of the desperate wheeze that left his mouth. She was able to get to her feet then, but before she could get far, the demon had recovered and was beside her, wrapping his fingers around her neck and flinging her backwards to the floor.

He squeezed her throat without cutting off her breathing, hurting her but not choking her, his claws digging slightly into the flesh he wrung. As soon as she got passed the shock, Kagome began squirming, her fingernails digging into the hand he pinned her with while trying to bend and knee him hard enough to let her go. He smiled, jostled slightly by her attempts but otherwise unaffected. He was angled perfectly so that she could only strike his backside. His long, black hair fell from over his shoulder, skimming and tickling the skin of her now-exposed abdomen as her tee-shirt rode up from her frantic movements, and she watched as his eyes narrowed, a small chuckle showing how much he enjoyed her vulnerability.

Kagome couldn't hide how terrified she was. He was so much stronger than her, so much faster. She hardly stood a chance, and she couldn't help but wonder how long she'd be able to last against him. How long would he toy around before killing her? If she kept up the struggle, could she keep the bastard busy until Inuyasha got back?

No. She didn't have time to wait. That wasn't an option right now. She needed to get out and run as fast as she could to find help. Screw the phone, screw _everything._

It was difficult to battle her body's main reaction to fight the man's hand against her, especially as he began applying pressure to her air way, but she finally managed, throwing her fist up to collide with his face. She hit his cheek and he hardly flinched, so she quickly hit him again, punching his nose. A brief thought struck her as he released her neck, clutching his nose in pain, and she aimed down a little, striking his throat with as straight a wrist as she could control. The demon choked, falling back onto his ass, and Kagome, though coughing slightly, crawled away again.

She was exhausted already, and her body was shaking as she got back on her feet, spinning around as the man rose with a fierce scowl furrowing his features, blood dripping from one nostril. She looked around for anything to protect herself with, caught off guard when he ran at her. She backed up quickly, a small scream escaping her sore throat from the panic, bumping her head against the wall as he caged her with his arms.

The man slapped her again and again. Kagome tried to push him away, to stop him, but he was fervent and furious. He grabbed her by the hair and directed the turn of her head with a sharp yank, thrashing her temple against the light switch, and she cried out. She begged him to stop, but all he did was move in closer. She whined and quivered, and he laughed and licked his lips, still holding her head to face the side. Kagome blinked open her eyes as he whispered grotesquely in her ear, eyes pinning on the table lamp a foot away. Her hand reached out and she grasped the neck of the ceramic, swinging it sharply to shatter against the side of the demon's head.

He was dazed and wobbly for a moment, his hands slackening on her as he stumbled back a few steps. Before he could recover, before his demon blood re-alerted his senses, Kagome smashed her body into his, bringing the both of them crashing to the ground. She didn't waste time in her assault, straddling his waist as she struck his face time and again, only hoping to keep him so uncoordinated that he wouldn't be able to chase after her as she fled.

There was blood leaking from his scalp where she'd hit him with the lamp, drenching the roots of his hair and the majority of his pointed ear. She sat there on top of him, trying to gather herself in that instant as she stared at the dark liquid. The adrenaline coursing through her was causing her to shake wildly, and she understood there was no point in idling. In one final act to bring the demon down from power, Kagome slowly dragged her nails against his cheek creating an angry red to swell behind the trail, small sprinkles of blood coming to the surface and keeping her from getting carried away. He was done. He wasn't fighting. She needed to run.

Kagome didn't waste another second, stumbling off of the man as she assembled control over her muscles, running at the door to fling it open, and throwing herself outside.


	8. Chapter 8

Kagome raced through the dark, nearly-lifeless streets, the pads of her feet smacking along the cold cement. Her lungs were burning, her muscles aching, and she was gasping for air, but she forced herself not to stop no matter how bad her body pleaded with her.

She heard people, music, talking and laughing as she approached the party district of her town, neon lights illuminating the area as bars dominated the blocks. In her panic, she hadn't paid attention to the direction she'd taken off in. All she wanted was to get away, so her legs took control and carried her off. There was no indication that he'd followed, but there wasn't any that he hadn't either, so she never halted. Now people were staring at her as she ran passed them and pushed through their tight-knitted groups, grunting and wheezing all the way, protecting her right hand by clenching and curving it tightly against her chest. She ignored the squeals and gasps, ignored the men that asked if she was alright, running through to escape everyone and everything, blocking out the sounds of them by focusing on the boisterous thumping in her ears.

As she made it through the congested streets, she realized just how far from the police station she was. She'd have to turn around, and just the thought had her knees giving in on her. Maybe she could make it to a payphone - if they weren't completely obsolete. And turning back even half a block to ask a bartender to use their phone could potentially create a crowding, obnoxious scene. The idea of being stagnant for more than a quick second had her petrified, though. It gave the demon ample time to catch up, to grab her, to throw her around some more, to kill her.

Kagome made a sharp turn down a well-known, daytime-thriving avenue, glad to see very few people strolling along at the current hour. A couple across the street caught her eye, their concerned, wide gazes making her feel small and helpless, and she hadn't been paying attention to where she was running, smacking full speed into a large, hard object. She couldn't help the shriek that seared her throat, her voice cracking from the intense dryness and accompanied fear as she stumbled backward away from the man.

He was tall and wide, well-built in his stature. He held out his arms with care - one hand holding a filled trash bag - careful of her obvious apprehension as she felt the sweat gliding down the side of her face. His glowing, blue sclera was all she needed to know he had demon blood, but there was something about the burly man that was calming. He wasn't dangerous. In fact, her running into him at full speed seemed to thoroughly startle the guy.

Kagome was still careful as he put the bag down at his feet and kneeled to her level, stiffening and taking burning gasps of air that hurt more than they appeased her lungs.

"Are you alright?" He spoke. His voice was deep and soft, something you wouldn't entirely expect from a man of his size. She couldn't speak. Her body was trembling violently, her mind was still racing as if her legs hadn't stopped, and her nerves were on high alert. Realizing she'd been still for too long, Kagome quickly checked over her shoulder, eyes darting over her recent path to see if her attacker had found her yet. It was only a matter of time. When she saw no one, she turned back to the man before her, flinching when he outstretched his large hand to her.

"Is someone following you?"

She tried to nod, the movement unsteady and harsh as her muscles fought against her.

"Please, let me help you."

Kagome didn't know what to do. Her body was cramping painfully, and she knew if she ran off she wouldn't make it very far. But how could she just trust someone she'd bumped into on the streets? Was it a ploy? What if he worked for Naraku, too? She needed to be skeptical with her company right now, otherwise she could walk right into a trap. The man before her, though, waited patiently for an answer, eye contact steady no matter how skittish her own was, hand never lowering, expression never hardening. He spoke once more, and she could physically feel how gentle this demon was by nature.

"This is my flower shop, miss. If you'll allow me to, I'll call the police as soon as we're inside. You'll be safe with me until they arrive."

Maybe she was crazy, or maybe she was desperate, but Kagome reluctantly slid her left hand into the palm of his. He didn't hurt her when he folded his fingers closed or pulled her in the direction of the door. Despite his calloused hands, he held her softly. He led the way and eased if she stumbled or faltered. He propped the door open, forgetting his trash on the sidewalk, and allowed her to enter before him. He narrated everything he was doing so she was one-hundred percent aware the entire time as he locked the doors and grabbed the cordless phone from behind the counter, never seeming to take offense while she vigilantly watched his every move. He put the phone on speaker so she could hear him speak with the authorities, and when they announced a unit was on the way, he pulled a stool out for her to sit on, slipped around the corner and came out with a glass of water for her to drink.

"My name is Jinenji." He said, sitting on the tiled ground next to her. She was surprised, with the room as crowded with different breeds of flowers as it was, that there was enough room for him to even kneel.

Her chapped lips slowly parted as everything finally began to still, as the world stopped spinning so uncontrollably fast and as she realized there was no longer an immediate threat around. She was still shaking, but she was finally beginning to feel the chill of the air again as her adrenaline quieted and ceased telling her to flee. Her cheeks felt hot, her uncovered legs felt cold, her throat was dry, her head was pounding, and tears began to fall from her eyes while her face defiantly contorted as everything processed, and she silently thanked the gentle man next to her for providing even an ounce of safety. "I'm Kagome." She brokenly whispered, taking a sip of the water in her hand.

Sango practically hopped out of the vehicle before Hojo had even put it in park, slamming the door shut in her haste. The street was alight with flashing red and blue. Two cop cars were parked in front of the shop, an ambulance crookedly pulled in at the head of them, bringing attention to the small floral shop she'd never noticed before. She could hear Hojo's footsteps running to catch up with her before she saw him, and he helped her push through the crowd of curious people all asking what had happened, telling them to back up; most of which were dressed down in their pajamas, so she assumed they were the tenants living in the apartments above all the mom and pop shops on the block.

Walking through the opened double doors, Sango snagged the arm of a passing officer with one hand while showing her badge with the other, catching her undivided and shocked attention.

"Where's Kagome Higurashi?" She asked sternly.

"In the back corner with the shop owner. She won't talk to any of us, won't even let the paramedic touch her. She just keeps saying she needed your team down here." The officer responded, standing straight as Sango released her hold.

"She didn't give you anything?"

"Just that she was attacked. Nothing else."

"What did you get from the shop owner?"

"He doesn't know anything. She ran into him, and he was able to calm her down enough to get her inside. That's it."

"Alright, we've got it from here." Hojo said.

"You know the girl?"

"Miss Higurashi's involved in an ongoing investigation."

"Do us a favor and get all the onlookers to back up. Nothing gets out to the press, got it?" Sango ordered.

"Understood." She nodded, exiting the store, immediately joining a few other officers in their attempts at dispersing the commotion and ushering families back into their homes.

Sango and Hojo made their way to the back, pushing passed another officer so they didn't tip over buckets of lilies and nearby magnolias in their trek. As soon as Kagome's sitting, half-crumpled form was in sight, Sango called her name, urgently rushing the rest of the way over.

Kagome jerked up straight in her stool, and Sango had to do everything in her power not to halt her path or mutter the curse stuck on her tongue. Blood had stained the right side of her face, a trail of dried brown gliding down to the curve of her jaw and half way down her neck, brighter red clumping at the hair line of her temple. Her left cheekbone, just below her eye, was painted angry, a subtle purple fading in that would be bright by morning. There was a slight crust of blood on the corners of her mouth and the chapped line where her lips met her teeth, and her throat was already bruised worse than her cheek. Finger marks were distinct, and because Kagome's dark, tangled hair was pulled over the opposite shoulder, Sango could clearly see the outer edges ending with small pinpricked scabs. Kagome rose from her seat, legs visibly wobbly, and she delicately cradled her right hand to her chest as if she were protecting a fractured bone from further movement.

"Kagome..." Sango didn't know where to begin, let alone how to move passed the extreme feeling of distress gathered in the cavity of her chest. How could this have happened to her?

"It-it's okay, I'm okay!" She quickly assured them, ending her bold statement with a sniffle.

"What happened?" Hojo steadily asked, carefully easing his hand on her shoulder to get her to sit back down. The large man beside her rose, nodding toward to the team members and taking his leave towards the front of the shop, allowing the two more room and privacy. A paramedic kneeled idly to the side, an unopened medical box at the ready.

"I was getting ready for bed and I heard the door being unlocked. H-he had a key. He walked right in and attacked me." Kagome said, lips turned downward.

"Who?" Sango asked, furrowing her brows. "Was it Naraku?"

Kagome shook her head, "No, it was the man from the coffee shop. The one that gave me the envelope. I-I got his DNA!" She held out her guarded hand enthusiastically, brown eyes, though drained, alight with accomplishment.

"Wait, what?"

"I scratched him. His face. I did it right, didn't I? Skin cells are a way to get DNA, aren't they?" Her lips were still turned down, chin quivering, and it was so, so evident she was doing everything in her power to hold herself together for them. It made sense why she was holding her wrist the way she had been now. She was trying to prevent losing what she'd fought for.

"That's right. You did well, Kagome. How about we get you to a hospital so we can get that sample from you?" Hojo smiled softly.

"No." She stated firmly. "No hospitals."

The paramedic leaned in a little further, opening his mouth to speak then shutting it as Kagome flinched away.

"I said no hospitals!"

"Kagome, shhh, it's okay." Sango assured her, using the gentlest tone she could harbor, taking in how small and shaken the girl in front of her seemed. "Why don't you want to go? Are you afraid? I'll be with you the entire time, I promise."

"My mother works at the nearest hospital." Kagome spoke, her tone rough but shrunken, her eyes aimed at the tiled ground. "She doesn't know a thing about all of this. She'd insist on taking me in, and that would only put her and my little brother in immediate danger. She also sometimes volunteers at the neighboring hospital, and word would quickly spread to her that I was there. I cant - I _wont_..."

"I get it." Sango said with a sympathetic raise of her brow. "No hospitals. Will you allow this paramedic to take the sample?"

The medic was hesitant, stiff, obviously not entirely clear on what to do since it wasn't normal procedure for an EMT to take any sort of evidence. It was, in fact, their job to _avoid_ touching evidence. Nevertheless, as uncustomary as it was, it was still included in their training, and he had the necessary materials beside him for the job.

Kagome looked at the paramedic, nodding and extending her fingers out to the gentleman. He opened his supply box, unburying a packaged utensil and tube along with a pair of latex gloves. Quickly, he slipped his hands into the gloves, a small snapping sound made when he let the ends go, and then he pulled apart the thin, plastic package, releasing the tube and wooden utensil. He opened the cap of the tube for preparation, placing it in his lap as he gently gripped Kagome's palm and scraped the slanted end of the wood beneath her nails, one-by-one. Sealing the stick within the tube, he gave the three a look to let them know it was done.

"And her head?" He asked, ready to do his actual job. "Look, I know you said no hospitals, but I need to press the matter. While the wound, itself, seems to have mostly stopped bleeding, she could be concussed."

Kagome glanced back and forth between Hojo and Sango, a pleading expression on her face. Her bottom lip quivered, and the way she fidgeted and twitched showed just how strikingly high her anxiety was at the moment. Legally, they couldn't force her to go to the hospital, no matter how advised or recommended it may be. Her life wasn't in danger, but if she had a concussion, issues could arise. Sango could tell by the way Kagome wasn't arguing that she understood the risks. She was waiting for their call.

"No hospitals." Hojo repeated, keeping his tone smooth as butter. "How about we have a doctor come to you? No affiliation with the hospitals at all. We've got a good professional, and he can meet us at the precinct. What do you say?"

Kagome sighed out, nodding, a small smile of gratitude gracing her lips as her shoulders sagged.

"I'll get this to the lab." The paramedic said monotonously, standing with the evidence as he took his leave.

"Kagome," Sango spoke, the air of caution in her tone as Hojo slipped the coat from his arms and hung it around Kagome's shoulders, supporting her as she stood. "Where's Inuyasha?"

Kagome hesitated, confused, lips parting, and she winced from the slight pinch of her brows. "He got a call from work. He said he had to go with somebody - I can't remember his name - and that it would be quick."

Hojo instinctively kept his arm around her back, tightening the jacket over her to lock in the heat since he couldn't tell if she was shaking from the stress or the cold.

"He was only gone for thirty minutes before that guy showed up." She continued. "I tried to get to my phone to call Inuyasha for help, but I-" Her statement cut off as a small hiccup hitched in her throat, crumbling her facade as she began to break down, tears stinging her already-irritated eyes. "I couldn't reach it. H-he was so fast -" a pause as her lungs demanded a shaking gasp. "I left without my phone, I-I didn't know how to get ahold of him. When the police showed up, I froze a-and told them to call you." Kagome cried now, hot tears pouring down her cheeks and she fiercely tried wiping them away, frustrated by the sensitivity of her bruises. "He's gonna be so mad when he finds out about this!"

"No, he won't." Sango said, soothing messy raven waves away from Kagome's face. "He's going to be so relieved that you're okay, Kagome. That's all that matters to him. I'll get ahold of him right now, okay?" She pulled out her phone and stepped off to the side, tapping on his work line and raising the cell to her ear. It rang multiple times, ending with his answering machine. She hung up before the beep, tapping on his personal number and, again, raising it to her ear, a small huff leaving her nose as each passing ring had her bobbing from foot-to-foot.

Voicemail.

One last time, she tried his work cell, growing frustrated as it, yet again, went to voicemail. This time, she didn't hang up, waiting for the beep before she spoke lowly into the mic. "Call me the second you get this. It's an emergency."

Sango hung up her cell, locking the device before slipping it into her back pocket, rejoining the two just after Hojo started leading Kagome toward the front of the shop. The girl looked over at her, lips slightly parted in question.

"He's gonna meet us at the station." Sango faked a smile. It wasn't necessarily a lie. That's where they were headed, and the moment Inuyasha caught wind of the news, there was no doubt he'd drop whatever he was doing and race over. It was a comfort on its own, but Sango couldn't help but feel horrible for even feeding a white lie to the girl before her after the horrifying night she'd just endured.

"What happened with your attacker?" Hojo asked.

"I don't know," She admitted with a small shake of her head. "When I hit him with the lamp he was a little out of it, so I knocked him down and hit him as hard as I could to keep him that way. Then I ran."

As they reached the double doors, Sango noticed the streets had quieted considerably. Most of the onlookers had dispersed, and the ambulance was gone. Two officers stood to the side with the shop owner, writing as he spoke to them, seemingly taking down his official statement.

"Hey." Koga's voice was rough as he jogged up at their side, his face crinkled in perturbation. "What happened?"

Sango gestured to Hojo to get Kagome tucked into the car, using the opportunity to quickly brief the wolf demon on everything she'd gathered.

"What the _hell_ do you mean he had a key _?_ "

"Just that."

"How!?"

"I don't know. It doesn't make sense to me either, but we can't push her with more questions until she gets looked at by a doctor. More importantly, where is Inuyasha? He's not answering his phone."

Koga groaned, a colorful swear vividly showing his exasperation, gritting his teeth as he let out a clenched and controlled sigh. "I told him to go with Ginta while he interviewed some people. They're probably finishing up, if not on their way back already."

"Call him." Sango demanded, clearly enunciating the words to be as clear and direct as possible. "Call as many times as necessary until he answers! Hell, call Ginta if you need to! Tell him what happened and let him know we're heading to the station. We need to get a unit to his house a.s.a.p.. We don't know if this guy's lingering, and we can't take a chance. Then crime scene investigators need to get in there."

"I'm on it."

**SVU Precinct**

Kagome shivered, sinking further into herself as the chill of the room got to her. It didn't take a genius to guess she was tucked away in one of the interrogation rooms. Every time she looked up she was greeted with the sight of herself staring back in the two-way mirror. At first she was confused by the rusty red and brown painting the entire right side of her face, clueing in a small moment later when she realized it was dried blood from the gash on her head. Soon after, she'd removed the borrowed jacket from Hojo. She didn't want to dirty it with her blood.

Multiple times her eyes flicked to herself in the mirror, and multiple times she had to forcefully tear her eyes away, wanting to see the damage but also feeling sick whenever she did. The only time one of the detectives dropped in was to let her know their doctor was on the way and to give her a glass of water. Other than that, she was alone, presumably watched from the outside of the window. While she understood they were busy, knowing the intended usage of the room had her feeling as if she'd been the one to do wrong. And as anxious as she was, as much as she wanted to watch the door or listen to see if she could hear _anything_ being said outside, she decidedly dropped her head onto her forearms along the table, shutting her eyes to try not to cry, the heat of her breath bouncing off the wooden table and warming her face.

The knob gave a click as it turned, and Kagome inadvertently jumped, staring wide-eyed at Koga as he entered.

"Hey, it's just me." He said softly. "Mind if I sit with you?"

Kagome gave a small shake of her head, glad for any company at the moment. He grabbed one of the chairs on the opposite side of the table and carefully carried it over to the corner closest to her, setting a white mug down in front of her before taking a seat.

"It's hot chocolate." Koga pushed the cup closer, leaning over the wood with a smile. "I added a dab of vanilla creamer to make it a little sweeter."

She took the drink in her palms, the mug hot against her skin, and she allowed the sensation to soak through for comfort. Gratefully, she took a sip, the liquid pleasant and delicious as she felt it glide down.

"Thank you." She smiled.

"Aren't you cold?" He asked, cocking his chin in gesture toward's the discarded coat.

"Oh - uh - I didn't want to get this all over it." Kagome shied her eyes away, weakly flicking her finger towards the dried blood on her chin and neck.

"He wouldn't care. Here, take mine. Or I can just raise the thermostat if you're worried, how's that?" He rose to cross the room.

"No, it's no trou- _please_ just... sit with me." She said nearly frantically. Just like that, her legs were bobbing and her fingers were shaking. She felt small and pathetic, afraid of being left alone even for a small moment. It was getting harder to sit still as he stood in place, gazing down at her, watching her, taking the feeble sight of her in.

Kagome's chin quivered, deep brown eyes avoiding his own as she flicked them from him, to the seat beside her, to the hot chocolate in her hands, and even away from that. She was scared. Cautiously, he nodded, settling back down into his seat as she'd requested. Still, she didn't look at him, but he could smell the salt of tears brimming at the surface even through the sealed-lipped smile she gave. His stomach rolled painfully. Sympathetically. He couldn't help but want to distract her, even momentarily, from the hell she'd been through. Gently, he placed his hand on her forearm, brown eyes finally landing on him.

"Hey. He's coming. He was across town."

Kagome forced a larger smiler, stifling her sniffle when she nodded an 'okay.'

"You like Def Leppard?" Koga asked, pointing to her tee shirt. She glanced down, pulling out the baggy crinkles to flatten the design.

"A few songs. I stole this shirt from my little brother." She replied, a real smile pushing at her cheeks.

Inuyasha raced up the stairs taking two at a time. How did this happen? How the fuck was this possible? His heart was beating a mile per minute, pounding through his ribcage, and he swore he could physically feel the blood coursing through his veins as his thoughts traveled dangerous paths just imagining what had occurred. She was safe. She was _supposed_ to have been safe.

Koga called, and by the alarming amount of missed ones he'd received just on his work phone, it was easy to deduce that something was wrong. Never did he imagine the words that came from his partner's mouth that caused his stomach to drop violently to the floor beneath him. Not once did he expect the stupid wolf to tell him Kagome had been attacked. It was like the air had been punched from his lungs, and before he could even fully process what had been said, his partner ordered him to meet them at the station and hung up.

He threw the third floor stairway door open, the metal slamming against the wall behind it from his force. Immediately, he caught her scent but it didn't calm his raging senses as it normally would. No, because it was laced with blood, sweat, and the fucker that had broken into his apartment, it did nothing but irate him further.

Inuyasha stormed through the propped doors of his office, throwing his coat on the first desk he passed as he blindly followed the trail of Kagome's scent, nearly stopped by Sango jumping in his way, holding her hands up apprehensively. He flicked his ember eyes down at her, heated, warning, shaking, curving around her as he tossed a desk chair out of his path. She shouted his name and yanked on his arm, spinning him around to face her where he was surprised by her vicious glare.

"I know you're mad, but don't you dare go in there looking like that!"

"Like _what,_ Sango!?"

"Murderous! You look like you're about ready to kill somebody! I get it, you're worried and scared and you're pissed someone hurt Kagome, but she's been through hell and she doesn't need you looking like the hound straight from it!"

He yanked his arm from her grip, staring her down, crinkling his nose as he bit his tongue. His senses were going haywire, everything boiling and alight within his body. On their side, their team psychiatrist slowly approached and Inuyasha instantaneously transferred his scowl to him, absolutely fuming. "What the hell are you doing here!? You're not about to psychoanalyze her right now!"

_"_ Inuyasha!" Sango shouted, appalled by the venom in the half demon's tone.

Miroku raised his hands defensively though his expression was completely level, a medical box larger than the average first aid kit held within the fingers of one, shaking his head at Sango in indication to allow Inuyasha to proceed. He was understandably reacting under the pressure, pushing through his foggy emotions to do whatever he needed to protect. Once Inuyasha saw he stood no threat but only meant to help, he'd calm, and as soon as the vehement ember eyes landed on the case in his hold, Inuyasha's snarl slowly shifted into one of muddled concern, eyebrows pinching tightly together.

"I promise, I won't ask a single question that isn't necessary." Miroku said.

"Define "necessary."" Inuyasha ordered through gritted teeth.

"Nothing outside of her physical health."

"Since when do you-"

"I'm a psychiatrist, not a psychologist. I'm a medically trained doctor. I can bandage anyone up just as well as any normal physician."

No matter how many times Inuyasha's eyes flickered away from the box to challenge Miroku's cool gaze, they always landed back on it. Bandage. He said bandage. Sango said she was hurt. Koga said she was attacked. He could smell her blood - _God_ he could smell her fucking blood! His stomach rolled unsettlingly and he swallowed the thick, painful lump that had developed in the center of his throat, his ears inadvertently pressing back against his head as the situation became clear. All the rage he felt just a small moment ago dwindled and vanished, the space once feeding it now filling with an angst he couldn't even begin to describe. "How- how is she?"

"She's a little banged up." Sango admitted as gently as possible.

"Why didn't you take her to a hospital?" His voice was the unsteadiest she'd ever heard. For something to shake Inuyasha this way, it even had Sango clenching her fists in trepidation.

"She refused. Said her mom works and volunteers at the ones nearby. She doesn't want her to know about any of this."

_"Fuck!"_ Inuyasha hissed, brushing the silver bangs back from his face only for them to wisp right back into place.

"That's why Miroku came."

"You're a psych, a doctor, an annoyance-"

"Don't forget FBI agent." Miroku smirked.

"Show off." Inuyasha muttered. Yet again, he eyed the case in his hands. He nodded a thank you and hoped it was sufficient enough, looking back over at Sango, then behind him in the direction of the invisible trail of Kagome's scent.

"Room three." She mentioned, and he spun around, jogging the rest of the way down the hall and around the corner.

He could hear her voice, his ear flicking at the scratchy and weak sound of it. As he came into view of the door, he noticed Hojo standing just outside the two-way watching in, glancing over at him as they paid one another a silent regard before Inuyasha threw the interrogation door open. Kagome, noticeably startled, stared at him in the entry for the smallest second before a trembling breath left her mouth and she lurched from her seat and sped across the room to close the distance between them.

He caught her, folding his arms around her waist, crushing her body to his as she jumped into his arms, wrapping her own around his neck. The shuddering whines she released only brought him to hold her tighter, shushing her and whispering "I'm sorry" over and over to soothe, burying his nose into her shoulder as he thanked whatever god was out there that she was alive. As difficult as it was and as short-lived as their hug stood, Inuyasha forced himself to let her go, softly raking his hands up her body to cradle her jaw so he could take her in.

Kagome watched as his molten eyes traveled over her face from one mark to the next. His thumb swiped over the side of her cheek, rubbing the dried, flaky blood stains away. She watched his expression twist painfully, felt his hold on her quake, and as he gazed at the bruises on her neck and heard the broken, agonizing apology slip from his lips, she shook her head, unable to fight back the tears as it hurt her to watch him blame himself. How could he have known what was going to happen? How could anyone have known? Words failed her, but she wanted to comfort him. Her throat was tight and eyes burned, and he continued to say he was sorry over and over, pressing his forehead to hers while he wiped her tears away with his thumbs.

"I-I'm okay." She finally said. He responded by pulling her into another hug, smoothing down her hair as he stroked the crown of her head.

There was a light rasp on the wall behind them, breaking the two apart as they looked over. Miroku walked in, a professional smile aimed at Kagome and she flimsily rubbed the backs of her hands over her eyes to clean the mess of her crying from sight.

"Hi, I'm Miroku. I'm their on-hand psychiatrist." He raised the case in his hands. "I was hoping to take a look at that cut on your head, if you'll allow."

Inuyasha stepped to her side, rubbing his hand up and down the length of Kagome's back as she looked up at him. When he didn't say anything in opposition, she nodded in agreement to the doctor. From the other side of the room, Koga stood, taking the empty mug of Kagome's and raising it saying he was going to get her a refill as he left the room. Kagome didn't immediately follow Miroku to the seats, her body tension showing her obvious hesitation. Inuyasha pushed his hand under the loose-fitted tee she wore, gently massaging the small of her back in hopes of helping her relax a little, the pads of his fingers swiping over thin, rough, scratchy scabs. He leaned back, lifting the shirt to see the meager claw marks, his eyes traveling further down to see angry scratches down the back of her right thigh.

His entire abdomen clenched as he thought of _why_ she would have received marks _there,_ fear tightening his air passage as he glanced back at her in question. It only took a second for Kagome to understand where his mind had traveled, her brows arching knowingly, and she took the opportunity to look him dead in the eye, shaking her head in a steady no. Usually, Inuyasha was skeptical and would push the matter, but she was being honest. He could see it clearly, and though he would have preferred a verbal confirmation, he allowed her gesture to calm the nerves that had flared.

They walked over to the seats, Kagome claiming the one she sat in before, the cushion still slightly warm. Inuyasha took the one beside her, scooting close while Miroku had already taken residence in the corner chair, not having wasted any time as the box was opened and ready to go, his hands sheathed in latex gloves.

He was gentle as he gripped her chin with his forefinger and thumb, guiding her face left and right as he took in her beating. He extended her neck, pushing her hair behind her shoulder as he examined the tiny scabs at the edge of her strangulation marks.

"Were you hurt anywhere else?" He asked, opening up some cleaning solution.

"He - uh - scratched my thigh." Kagome responded, unsurely.

"Mind if I look?"

She nodded, slowly rising from her chair and turning around. As uncomfortable as she was, she couldn't imagine how much worse for wear she'd be if Inuyasha wasn't right next to her, turned in his chair to face her completely, his arm propped on the back of the seat and hand opened for her to take if she wanted. Which she did. She slid her fingers into his palm while Miroku took a look.

"Does it hurt?" He asked.

"Not really."

"Looks like a pretty good knick, but it isn't deep at all. I'm going to clean it out real quick, just to be safe."

"There's a scratch on her back, too." Inuyasha spoke, reaching behind her to lift her shirt just enough. Miroku dragged a soddened cotton ball over the small of Kagome's back. It was cold, but it didn't bother her. Her thigh was a little more sensitive, but still the sting was more than bearable.

She took a seat as soon as she was prompted, twisting her hand in Inuyasha's to comfortably fit as she brought it with her into her lap.

"This is just water. I need to clean around this head wound to see what we're dealing with, alright?" Miroku asked, soaking a pad of gauze.

Kagome nodded, wincing slightly as he dragged it over her temple and down her cheek, trying not to glance at the reddened tissue once he pulled it away. One more time, he raked it over the wound, pressing in slightly.

"You're hurting her." Inuyasha lowly warned.

"I apologize." The psych said smoothly, discarding the gauze and soaking a clean cotton ball with cleaning solution. "I was checking to see if it was still bleeding. It's not as bad as I expected - this may sting a little."

Kagome tried not to flinch away from the burn, instead tensing her thighs and her grip on Inuyasha's hand in order to allow Miroku to do what was necessary. He finished quickly, sealing the small cut with a butterfly bandage.

"How's your head? Any pressure? Dizziness?"

"It hurts, but I haven't been dizzy."

"Did you lose consciousness at any point?"

"No."

"Good. Would you like some medicine for that headache?"

"Yes, please." Kagome feebly nodded.

Miroku took out a set of prepackaged pills, putting them before her. "I'll get you some water."

"No need." Koga boasted, entering through the opened door with a steaming mug in hand. "Hot chocolate a la Koga for the young lady."

Kagome perked up with a smile, happily taking the drink from the wolf demon's clutches.

"Inuyasha, we need to see you in the hall real quick."

"Can it wait?" The half demon asked, side-eyeing the wolf.

"No. Hall."

He glanced over at Kagome who gave him a warm smile, telling him she was fine. He didn't want to leave her. The thought of even being separated by a door was unsettling to him. She gave his hand a firm squeeze, nodding before she let go, and he sighed agitatedly, standing and following both Miroku and Koga out, shutting the door on his way. The entire team stood on the other side of the wall waiting for him, their A.D.A. taking up her post next to their chief.

"So," Sango began. "The perp was no longer at your apartment by the time a unit got there. They're checking the building's entry cameras as we speak. In the meantime, CSU is fine-combing through your place to get any answers they can."

"Have they found anything?"

"Not yet. There was a very small amount of blood found on the floor and a nearby wall. They're checking for fingerprints."

"Chances are, we already have his DNA though." Hojo added. He hadn't moved from his spot next to the two-way.

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked, furrowing his brows.

"We mean, we may have already sent a successfully attained sample of the perp's skin cells to the lab. Kagome scratched him. Not many people think about these things in the heat of the moment, let alone think _clearly,_ but from the sounds of it Kagome scratched the guy as a means for us to track him down."

Inuyasha shifted his sights through the window, softly watching Kagome take a careful sip of her hot chocolate. He'd always told her she watched too many crime shows. Who'd have thought they'd actually feed her information that would help her one day?

"Results should hopefully be back soon. I'll check in with the lab after this." Sango said.

"In addition, it doesn't look like Kagome is concussed. You're fine to question her." Miroku stated.

"What? Question?" Inuyasha couldn't help the defensive tone that sprung. After everything Kagome had been through, they were still going to press her? _Right now?_

"Yes, Inuyasha, we need to know what happened." Kagura firmly stated. "The sooner we know everything, the better."

"We can do it tomorrow." It wasn't a suggestion.

"It is one o'clock in the morning, and I'm not here for your perverse attitude." Kagura chided, stabbing him with her red irises. "I'm here to get her statement. Why wait? It's not like you can take her home, your apartment is a crime scene at the moment."

"She's right. It's fresh, and while it may potentially be difficult for Kagome to talk about, it's best we get it while it's all still on the surface." Miroku chimed in.

"With that being said," Kagura harshly spoke before Inuyasha could rebuttal. "You have two options, and I want you to understand how lucky you are that I'm giving you two options, okay? One, you can sit beside Kagome while we talk to her so long as you don't contribute a _single_ word to the conversation. Or two, you can stand on this side of the mirror. Your choice."

Inuyasha flinched. "Jesus, you are not a morning person."

_"Choose."_

"Alright, alright! I won't talk!"

"Good." She smiled.

"Can we at least have a minute or two before-"

"Of course." Totosai easily agreed, nodding understandingly. Inuyasha watched them all give the same wane smile, dispersing on the spot to go about their business. When he had the privacy he desired, he turned and stepped back into the room, breathing just a little bit easier than the moment he'd left her.

"How ya feeling?"

"Head still hurts." She shrugged, wagging the prepackaged pills in front of her as he took his seat. The ends were flayed and wrinkled, but remained unopened. It didn't take a genius to know she'd struggled with the thing. He chuckled, taking the pouch and ripping it open. She smiled, taking the pills and downing them with the remainder of her drink, a soft thank you on her lips afterward.

"I left my phone back at the apartment. Otherwise, I would have called you sooner." She admitted, looking down at her empty mug.

"Hey, no, I don't want you worrying about that." He shushed, gently swiping some hair behind her ear. "You did everything right. I don't care how I found out, I care about _you._ "

She looked up at him, propping her cheek in her palm. "Yeah? Will you still care about me when you see I broke your lamp?"

"Which one?"

"The really weird jade one with the carved-in flowers."

Inuyasha sucked in a deep breath, leaning away from her as he feigned disturbance. "That was my favorite lamp, Kagome. Why would you do that?"

"Shut up." She giggled, pushing his shoulder.

"I can't bring myself to hold it against you." He said, a sly smile on his face. He moved closer, softly swiping the back of his finger over the bruise on her cheekbone. "Not when you've got this beaut of a shiner."

"Does it make me look tough?"

"The toughest."

"Would you consider me a scrapper now?"

"You bet, Scrappy Doo." Inuyasha laughed, ruffling her bangs. She smiled, leaning closer to him so their forearms grazed on top of the table. "Hey, so they're gonna come in here soon - our A.D.A. and another detective probably." His tone dwindled down to a note of seriousness, still keeping a gentle ease to it so she wouldn't shy away from him. He wanted to warn her, but he didn't want to scare her. "They need your official statement, so they're going to have you give a play-by-play of the night. You ready for that?"

"Will you... will you stay with me?"

"I'm not going anywhere, Kagome."

"Okay."

"Look," He exhaled, trying to rid his olfactory system of the rotten odor of the perp while clinging to the sweet aroma of the girl before him. "I'm sorry. For everything. I-I should have never taken the call."

"No, don't-"

"This wouldn't have happened if I didn't. How am I supposed to keep you safe if I'm not home? Like tucking you away in my apartment was supposed to be enough!? I-I should have stayed. I should have turned my fucking phone off. I should have never stopped-" Kagome softly placed her hand on his unknowingly clenched fist, working her fingers against his so they would relax. "... kissing you." He opened his palm, watching her thread her fingers through his as if that were the sole place her hand belonged, the fit perfect and warm as he curled his fingers.

"You need to stop blaming yourself for everything that goes wrong. It's not your fault."

"Kagome-"

"It's _not_ your fault. I don't blame you. Not one bit. In fact, it's probably thanks to you that I was able to fight him off."

Inuyasha sighed defeatedly, a tender smile inadvertently curving his lips. "Did you keep your wrists straight?" He leaned closer an inch.

"I'm pretty sure I broke his nose." She giggled, following his lean.

"Scrappy-" He cut himself off by kissing her, careful not to get carried away, rejoicing in the sweet taste of the only girl who's ever seemed to calm the consistent battle of both bloods in his soul. With just that peck, he felt whole. With the soft wind of her breath against his lips, he felt alive. He was content, warm, and more grateful than he'd ever been in his life just for that small, inconsequential moment, and he wondered how anyone ever got love confused with that thrilling, nerve-wracking sensation that kept you unbalanced on your toes. No, when you're with the person you care for more than your favorite cereal, the person whose smile can cure your ailments, the person you'd happily share a bag of Hot Cheetos with at two in the morning while watching some stupid rerun of The Twilight Zone that you've seen together at least eighty times but keep watching with minimal complaints because you know it's their favorite as they echo the words said on screen because they know it by heart, you feel an expanding peace in your chest like someone took the liberty of tucking your heart into a cozy blanket straight from the dryer. That excitement is for the rookies on their third date. That anxiety is for when you're falling, not fallen. With Kagome, leaning into him, playfully rubbing her forehead against his, tucking their entwined hands below the table and into her lap, he felt that. He felt serene. He forgot he was in an interrogation room within a matter of seconds, only reminded by the approaching footsteps and knock against the thick door.

He pulled away stiffly to face Kagura and Sango as they entered, rubbing his thumb along the back of Kagome's hand. They shut the door behind them, taking their seats across the table - Sango having to drag one back from the side - both holding considerate smiles.

"You must be Kagome Higurashi. My name's Kagura, I'm the assistant district attorney working on yours and Inuyasha's case."

"It's nice to meet you." Kagome greeted.

"I wish it was under better circumstances." Kagura smiled, a rare sight for Inuyasha. "We need to go through what happened tonight so everyone is on the same page. Is that okay?" She placed a tape recorder on the center of the wooden table.

Kagome nodded. Okay or not, it had to be done. She understood that. Already, as she allowed the night to replay in her head, like rewinding a VHS video to the very start, she felt the same fear crawl over her as if she were back in the living room with her attacker. She took a steadying breath, trying to make it as casual as possible.

Like a bandaid. Rip it off like a bandaid.

"Lets start from the beginning; where were you? What time of night?" Sango asked a small moment after they'd hit record.

"I was at Inuyasha's house. It was around nine forty-five, I think."

"Were you alone?"

"Yes. Inuyasha was called to work."

"How long were you alone?"

"Maybe thirty minutes, max."

"And what happened?"

"I was getting ready for bed and I heard the front door being opened. It wasn't being forced or broken into. He had a key, so I thought it was Inuyasha coming home. I-I froze when I saw who it actually was."

"Who was it?" Kagura asked.

"I don't know his name." Kagome shook her head and shrugged.

"But you've met him before?"

"Yeah. He came up to me at a coffee shop recently and handed me an envelope of pictures."

"Okay, can you explain to us what went down after he came in?" Sango inquired with a small cock of her head.

"He pulled out a key to my own apartment from his pocket, said his boss forgot to give it back to my landlord. I-I got scared. My first instinct was to call Inuyasha for help, but my phone was across the room. I ran for it, and th-that's when he attacked me." She paused for a moment. The half demon's grip had tightened against her hand, his ember eyes fixated on her as he learned the little details of her night. She wondered how he was keeping such controlled composure after discovering someone had a key to his place. "I got away after I hit him in the head with a lamp. That's when I scratched his cheek, too. I wanted to help in any way I could to have him arrested faster, and I knew you could get DNA from skin cells."

"That was smart." Kagura nodded. "I'm glad you did that. We may have a match back soon from the lab."

"Did he say how he got yours or Inuyasha's keys?" Sango asked.

"Not mine; although he did mention it was the master key for my complex - not my apartment, specifically. He asked if my landlord noticed it was gone, so maybe they stole it? I don't know how. For Inuyasha's..." Kagome spared a small glance in his direction, noticing the perplexity crinkling his dark brows. As the words came to her tongue, her tension rose, anticipating some sort of reaction. "He said it was harder to get because-" she aimed her statement toward him. "you keep your spare here. At work."

She watched his lips seal, pressing them into a straight line as he sucked in a very slow breath that noticeably inflated his chest. The muscles of his jaw went rigid and he directed his eyes down at the wood, then across to Sango. How was he not tossing the table right now? How was he still holding her hand without squeezing the life out of it? Who was this Inuyasha and what business did he have sitting next to her?

"Thank you, Kagome." Kagura smiled, ending the tape recording and dragging the device back toward her. "This will help us tremendously, you can relax now. Inuyasha, can we-"

"Yeah." He immediately shot straight up to stand, releasing Kagome's hand.

There he was.

They shut the door behind them and Inuyasha pushed passed the entire crew, storming through the office to their lockers on the side. The combination lock was left open, looped through the small hole to hold it shut without drawing immediate attention. He ripped the damn thing out, tossing it to the floor as he threw the locker door open and tore out all his belongings. The spare key was gone.

"How the _fuck_ did this even happen!?" Inuyasha barked, turning back to his audience. "We either have a rat or he somehow got in here!"

"How would he get in? Especially without one of the demon's catching an off scent." Hojo asked.

"Where do we begin if we've been double-crossed?" Koga joined. The phone rang at Sango's desk and she jumped to grab it.

"Inuyasha, when was the last time you went into your locker?" Totosai asked, approaching a smidge.

"Two days ago."

"And you locked it?"

"Of course I did!"

"If the perp broke into the station, he'd have to have your combination. Does anyone know it?"

"No! I have a hard enough time remembering it!"

"We'll start with going through recent security footage. Hojo, I want you to-"

"Wait, I've got something that'll make the job a _whole_ lot easier." Sango interjected, slamming the phone down on the receiver. She jogged over to the large monitors in the upper corner of the room, wiggling the mouse to bring them to life before hastily opening up the database and typing in the information she'd written on a sticky note. The mugshot of a young man in an orange jumper took up the majority of the screen, violet eyes slanted in amusement. His hair was long, black, held back in a tight ponytail that curved over his shoulder smoothly. His profile was to the side, crimes and offenses listed accordingly, and Inuyasha closed the distance between he and the monitor setup to study his facial features like a cram student in high school.

"We got a match on the DNA Kagome got us. Straight from the cheek, this is our guy."

"Byakuya?" Koga spoke.

"Sound familiar?" One asked.

"Not at all." Inuyasha answered.

"On top of that, there's been a few calls to the police of a concerning man about three blocks from Inuyasha's place."

"Great, let's get a search team together. We've got his identity, no time to lose." Totosai announced. "Get your shit and let's go - not you, Inuyasha."

"I didn't deserve that."

"Koga, call in back up. We'll get all the warrants we need if necessary, but get a team to tap any phone lines registered in his name just in case."

"He's got a busted nose and assume he's covered in blood from the head wound." Inuyasha announced as everyone strapped their bulletproof vests on.

"Busted nose?" Hojo's face twisted in confusion.

"Kagome thinks she broke it."

"Word to the wise, dog breath, don't get on that chick's bad side. _Jesus fuck."_ Koga's blue eyes went wide, aimed at the floor as he threw his windbreaker over his shoulders, adjusting straps as needed.

"We'll get CSU out of your apartment." Sango mentioned, checking the bullets loaded in her pistol. "Get Kagome home. We'll call when we have any news."

"We'll need her for a lineup." Kagura said from across the room, casually watching the scene unfold.

"You'll have her. Consider me on leave in the meantime." The entire room froze, staring at him as if lightning had just struck the ground he stood on. The precinct was dead silent, even Miroku looked like a deer in the headlights.

"Is... Is hell freezing over?" Koga muttered.

"Get the hell out of here!" Inuyasha scoffed, exiting the database on their computer system. He ignored the lot of them from that point on, stomping passed them all as he headed back toward the interrogation rooms.

Kagome was curled up in the passenger seat, seatbelt fastened but legs tucked into her chest. In the twenty minutes it took to drive back to his house from the station, she'd dozed off. As he gently rubbed his hand through her hair to rouse her, she gave a feeble whine.

"Come on," Inuyasha whispered. "We're here."

She unfurled unhappily, unhooking the seatbelt as he slipped out his door, hurrying to her side of the car. He couldn't blame her for being so exhausted. She was human, she'd had one hell of a night, adrenaline takes a lot out of a person, and it was almost three in the morning. Even if he could manage to get her out of the car without waking her, he knew she'd want to bathe to get the trauma off of her. She'd only be grumpy for a moment.

He opened the passenger door, turning around and kneeling down so she could climb on his back. She didn't have shoes, and he didn't want her walking where there could be glass. As he rose and hiked her up a little with a small bounce, she skillfully kicked the door shut, wrapping her arms around his shoulder and settling against him. Inuyasha headed through the entrance and up the stairs, gently setting Kagome down when they landed on the fifth floor.

The smell of everyone that had passed through the hall leading to his front door burned at his nostrils, but he tried not to show his revulsion. It was a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things. As much as he hated the violation, he hated the bruises on Kagome's neck and cheek more. His apartment could be wiped clean, but there was no magic eraser to unmark her flesh. She was what mattered, so he'd happily swallow his pride and ignore the invisible evidence of the amount of people that had been through his home.

There was loose crime scene tape around his doorframe that he tore down with one hand as he fished his keys out of his pocket with the other, sliding it into the knob and unlocking the door. He threw it open, having a harder time hiding the twist of his features as the scents of blood, sweat, chemicals, powders, demons, and humans flooded through the open entrance.

His home was a mess. Black powder was dusted over every surface for fingerprints, things had been moved, sharp shards of green-painted ceramic decorated the floor, and though he couldn't see the blood stains from where he stood, he could smell the two contrasting stenches - one from the woman he tried to shield behind him, the other from the fucker who must have attacked her.

Inuyasha felt Kagome curl from behind his back, her fingers just barely touching his waist as she took in the sight of the damage. He watched her chest deflate, her shoulders sag, her head wander over everything slowly. He wondered what was going through her mind. Was she reliving it? Blaming herself? Hating the despairing expression on her face, he wrapped his arm around her, bringing her into his side as if it were as natural as the moon.

"I'll draw up a bath for you." He kept his voice as low as he could without whispering.

"No. Not yet." She declined with a small shake of her head. "I want to clean this up."

"Kagome-"

"I _need_ to clean this up." Kagome tried not to sputter, tried to come off as steady as possible. She glanced up at the half demon, his ember eyes slanted in worry. "I need the closure."

How could he argue with that? Inuyasha understood closure better than anyone. She'd had a hell of a night, and she wanted to wipe the slate clean. With a final caress to her arm, Inuyasha let her go as she immediately got to work, heading straight to the kitchen for the all-purpose cleaner spray. He shut the door and joined her, grabbing the broom and dustpan, quietly mentioning that he'd handle the sharp objects. The two cleaned the apartment until it was spotless, barely any words spoken, small glances spared here and there. Surprisingly, not once did she look sad or held down. Not once did Kagome seem like the trauma of her evening took her spirit captive. No, as the place got more and more put back together, she looked increasingly rock solid. Steady.

How was she so strong? For so many years, Inuyasha has admired the woman across the room from him for her unwavering compassion and witty remarks. She was brave and hardly ever backed down when something was on the line. Now he realized he looked up to her. She was dirty but glowing. She was exhausted but radiating durability. He had demon blood coursing through his veins, he could take a lot more punches than many humans, he could survive commonly-known fatal wounds, he could laugh in the face of danger and sneer and snicker and antagonize his foes in any ordinary situation regarding life or death. But not her life. Not her death. He was terrified shitless. Tonight was a close fucking call, and it felt like someone had given him a fresh, deep gash and dumped a pound of salt into the open wound as a stinging reminder of what was at stake. Kagome was standing tall, and he wanted to know how. She had every right to break. She had every right to blame him for leaving, for not protecting her like he'd promised, she had every right to cry and scream and weep, but instead her chocolate eyes found him - and not just physically; she saw through him to his core - and she _smiled_.

"Thank you." She whispered. It was almost his undoing.

"For what?"

"For everything." Kagome confidently said. "I think I'd be a wreck right now if I were alone. Because you're here, I-" her face burned hot and she wondered if she was blushing. And if she was, would he be able to see it through the bruise she felt stiffening her cheek? She hoped not. "I feel like everything's okay. I feel like I can face it all, and it isn't that big of a deal. It's a huge deal, I know, but I just… thanks to you, I'm not really scared."

Inuyasha couldn't help the way his lips had parted from shock. There was a flutter in his chest, and he suddenly felt unsteady on his feet. Was she legitimately claiming he was the source of her strength? No, that couldn't be it. Because _she_ was the source of _his_.

"You're so stupid." He chuckled in disbelief, making his way over to her and gently combing his fingers through her bangs. "You don't get anything, do you?"

**—**

The jingle of the bell rang as the door hit it on its way past, gentle care taken in the swing so as not to offend someone on the inside. There was a small breeze as he walked through the frame, his short, groomed, black hair rustling with the passing wind. The inviting aroma of ground coffee beans and brewed teas met his nose, enlightening his senses as he took a few sidesteps to free himself of the main walkway, politely nodding to a young mother and her daughter, unable to help the curve on his lips as his knuckles brushed over her jeans in the crowd of the coffee shop.

Glancing up, he noted the wary looks from the baristas behind the counter. A couple staring, others looking back and forth cautiously to one another, trying to keep a cool demeanor but failing tremendously. One pushed through her hesitance, smiling and greeting him in as the regular customer he'd become, calling him by the unbecoming nickname he'd taken on in the recent months. He knew he'd liked her for a reason. There were polaroids of her making his coffee decorating his walls, a part of the new collage he'd grown so disgustingly proud of. She was still apprehensive when she offered him his usual order, her petite chest rising and falling quicker and quicker.

Naraku cocked a brow, a prideful smirk embellishing his face, and he didn't say a word. Every barista looked nervous and he loved it. He lived for it. They knew. They all knew.

And it was about fucking time.

With another tip of his dark eyebrow, he exited the cafe.

The fun was finally beginning.


	9. Chapter 9

Kagome grimaced, leaning over the counter to get a closer look at the bruise on her face in the mirror. Her cheek and part of her under eye were painted scarlet and purple, the intense darkness of the wound saved for the very side of her cheekbone where he'd hit her hardest, shaded navy and shadowed slightly with swelling. Swiveling her head, she pulled her damp hair away from her face, analyzing the cut just outsider her hairline. It was angry and tender, especially whenever she made any sort of facial expression, but it was easy to hide beneath her waves so long as she left them untamed. The marks on her neck, though, were an entirely different story. The splotchy bruising marred a portion of the center and the sides of her throat. She was grateful the marks weren't as dark as the one making up her left cheek; he was hitting her over and over in that spot, whereas on her neck he was controlling his strength so as not to choke her completely. The mauve and rouge colors blended and lined where his fingers had squeezed, hardly sensitive and serving as nothing more than a reminder that he'd had her pinned.

"You okay?" Inuyasha asked from the open doorway to the restroom.

"Why does it look so much worse today?" She moaned, lightly poking her cheek to test the soreness of it. She winced, instantly regretting her stupid action.

"It's usually worse the day after. Here." He held out a cloth-wrapped bag of frozen peas.

"Thanks." Kagome smiled, happily planting the icy vegetables on the side of her face.

"Come on, I need to get a bandaid on your cut before you start oozing all over my clean floors."

"It's not bleeding, I can do it." She grimaced again.

"Shut up and sit." He pointed behind him to the couch, watching as she rolled her eyes but followed his order. Pulling open the cabinet beneath the bathroom sink, he fished out the small first aid kit and followed her out, sitting on her right and setting the box in front of him on the coffee table.

Kagome dropped the bag of peas on her lap to pull her hair over her shoulder, using her right hand to keep it held back just behind her temple. There was no need to clean the wound since she'd taken a shower less than an hour ago - her third shower since they'd finished cleaning the apartment, and second since they'd woken up this morning. While she was handling the situation well enough, it was understandable that she'd want to try and "wash" the violation from her skin. Carefully, Inuyasha applied some ointment to the cut with a q-tip, spreading it out evenly before grabbing a small butterfly bandage from the box.

"I'm surprised you have those. It's not the most common type of bandaid to see in someone's house."

"Pfft," Inuyasha scoffed, applying the bandage securely and ignoring her little wince. "I'm a cop. I'm a reckless cop. And I've got just enough demon blood to avoid the constant visits to the hospital for a scratch that'll disappear in twelve hours. Put the peas back on your face. How's your head?"

"It's okay." She shrugged, leaning fully back into the cushions of the couch as she did as he said. "I'm more concerned about my face."

"Is it sensitive? I've got some Ibuprofen."

"No, the way it _looks!"_

"It's not that bad." He tried to comfort

"Are you kidding? I can't go to work like this, I work with children!" Kagome flailed her free hand in the air in exasperation, giving Inuyasha a look like her ailments were common sense.

"Well, it was stupid of you to still plan on working in the first place! You need to take time off!" The half demon argued.

"I can't just take time off, Inuyasha!"

"You literally never take vacations, you've probably got P.T.O. up the yin yang!"

"It's not about how much time I have accrued, it's about the lack of notice I'm giving! I'm a teacher!"

"With a teaching assistant!"

"She can't make teaching plans!"

"It's a preschool, Kagome, have her recite the ABC's and give the kids some coloring books!" He rolled his eyes so hard his head lolled to the side. Kagome scoffed.

"These are vital learning years in a child's life, I'll have you know!"

"Fine, go to work." He shrugged, leveling his expression, a hint of arrogance in the cock of his brow.

"Hello! Have you been listening? I _can't_ go to work!"

"Then it sounds like you need to take some damn time off, you idiot! Two weeks, just for cushion!"

"Two weeks!?"

"God, you just keep arguing." He drawled.

She threw the peas at him. "And tell them what? "Hi, I can't come into work because I've caught the fourteen day flu."" Kagome mocked, holding her finger-phone to her ear.

"How about, and bare with me because this is pretty out there, a _family emergency._ " Inuyasha spread his hands out like he was drawing a rainbow in the air above his head.

"What?"

Inuyasha chuckled hopelessly, shaking his head as he picked up the wrapped-up peas and gently held them to her cheek. "Man, this knock to the head really isn't helping you think straight, is it? A family emergency." He reiterated. "Say you have to fly out because your grandpa's in the hospital and you'll keep them posted, call again in a week and let them know things are worse than you expected. Boom, two weeks covered and no doctor's note needed."

"That's-" Kagome looked slightly stunned, blinking as the tension in her brow faded. "That's actually a good idea."

"Imagine that." Inuyasha nodded.

"God, you're so full of yourself." She snagged the frozen vegetables and pushed the half demon away, ignoring his cocky laugh as she rolled off the couch to grab her phone from across the room. Before she could open her email to prep her excuse, Inuyasha's phone rang right next to her, Koga's name illuminating the screen. She tossed it over to him, unable to hear what the normally-boisterous wolf was saying on the other end, only able to gather that it must have been semi-good information being fed through the line from the way Inuyasha didn't ignite in curse words but only nodded and responded with a simple "okay."

Hanging up his phone, he looked over at Kagome from his spot on the couch, sighing out before speaking. "So, they may have caught your attacker from last night."

Kagome sealed her lips, trying to swallow the nerves that suddenly began to inflate.

"They need you to pick him out of a lineup."

"Right now?"

"Right now."

She hadn't imagined having to see that man again so soon, and the thought was intimidating. She figured it would be through a two-way mirror, just like the interrogation room she sat in last night, and he wouldn't be able to see her, but what if he picked up her scent? What if he gave her that thin-lipped smile like he'd already done so many times?

"Will you be there?" Kagome asked.

"I can't for this one." He hesitantly admitted, looking half-ashamed. "I saw his profile in the system last night. I know what he looks like. They haven't specifically told me I can't yet, but I already know Kagura won't let me ten feet near that room. This is just so no one can say I influenced your answer."

"Got it." She breathed with a nod, completely understanding the logistics behind it. "Then, alright. We've gotta do what we've gotta do."

"Come on," Inuyasha stood, walking around the room to gather his necessary belongings. "Let's get this over with."

**SVU Precinct**

Sango sipped her piping hot mug of coffee, ignoring the sting on her tongue so she could get the caffeine rolling through her system. It had been a long night and she'd only been able to doze off for a quick power nap in the cot room before her busy mind and restless legs demanded she move. It was hard to be still when they had a criminal detained, even more so when he was playing smug and abiding by his right to remain silent. Not once had he asked for a lawyer since they sat him in the interrogation room, though. As fishy as it seemed, it could potentially end up working out in their favor. No lawyer means they had room to play a little dirty.

She looked up from her half-drunk cup as Inuyasha's silver hair caught her peripherals. He walked in at a leisurely pace, dressed down in a thin, maroon hoody with a plain, white tee underneath, loose jeans making up the lower portion. The guy practically lived at the station with how busy he liked to keep himself, so seeing him dressed in his civilian wear was on the odd side of things for her. What was even more odd was how soft his features appeared as he shifted his body to let the woman behind him step in front, his hand not touching, but hovering at the small of her back to keep her near.

It was a suitable change for him, and one she hoped he got to permanently adopt this time around.

Sango rose from her seat, hoping the coffee would hit her sooner rather than later, her muscles feeling heavy and sluggish. Inuyasha's ember eyes landed on her instantly, and he led Kagome down the hall of desks to meet her.

"Hey, thanks for coming." She greeted. "How are you feeling?"

"Oh, I'm okay. Don't worry about me." Kagome responded with a pleasant shake of her head. The thick bruise on her cheek crinkled slightly with her controlled grin, the smile appearing crooked so as not to anger the blue and purple mass. Her black, wavy hair was brought to the front of her shoulders, curving and covering most of the marks around her throat, and the only evidence of the nearly-shielded cut on her temple that would catch one's eye was the redness just outside of the swelling that traveled towards the outer tip of her eyebrow. She was wearing a charcoal pullover hoody with the brand name stitched across her chest, the bottom hem hugging the hips of her dark blue jeans.

"I'm glad to hear it, though." There was a brief pause before she continued. "So, I'm sure Inuyasha told you, but we have to have you pick the perp out of a lineup. Think you remember his face well enough to do that?"

"There's no way I could forget it." Kagome said earnestly. "Shouldn't be a problem at all."

Kagome was confident, but Sango couldn't help the pang of guilt she felt that a man's face was so unwillingly etched into her mind. She wondered if she was troubled with nightmares of his brutality as she slept last night, or watched him leap at her whenever she blinked. The way she held herself seemed calm and nicely put-together; there was no evidence of fear or lingering anxiety written in her body language, and Sango couldn't help but think this woman was fantastic at putting up a front in response. But that wasn't it. If Kagome was hiding behind a facade, Inuyasha's protective demeanor would give it away. She'd worked with the half demon for long enough to understand that he feeds off of the reactions of those around him; those he's closest to. Especially victims. If they wanted to shy back, he'd give them shelter behind his broad shoulders. If they were nervous, he'd compensate with his surety. Kagome was temporarily living with him, so it would be entirely too exhausting to keep up a lie all hours of the day until this mess was put to rest. And Inuyasha was undoubtedly synced with the woman at his side, standing close but not smothering, there for assistance if necessary but allowing her to stand tall without a crutch. If she was even slightly nervous, he'd pick up on that emotion like it was broadcasted clearly on a billboard. Sango watched him stiffen a smidge as Kagome took another step forward, a silent indication that she was ready. He was the nervous one.

Sango took Kagome's arm to guide her towards the back, letting Inuyasha know they'd return shortly as he plopped down in his own desk chair to wait. They walked through a small curve in the halls, coming up on an open room, greeted by Hojo and Kagura as they entered through, simple pleasantries exchanged as Hojo did his part to make sure Kagome was as comfortable as manageable. They stood before a two-way, illuminated from the opposite side, the room they watched completely empty aside from Koga standing next to a door on an adjacent wall.

"Koga's going to let them in through that doorway. Everyone will be holding a number, so if you see the man that attacked you, I want you to tell me which number he's holding, okay?" Kagura instructed. Kagome nodded, a note of hesitation finally crumbling her stature.

"He can't see me, right?" She asked, walking up to the window, placing her fingertips on the metal frame at the bottom of it.

"No, he won't be able to see you at all." Hojo steadily affirmed. Again, she nodded. They all stood there silently, giving Kagome a moment of composure. Her brown eyes didn't shift from the brightly-lit room they looked in on, and as she took in a deep breath, there was no more sag to her body, even her chin raising a hair. Hojo gave two deliberate knocks to the glass, and Koga turned to push open his door, ordering the row of men to enter without bark to his tone.

As each man passed through, Kagome quickly studied their faces, all looking slightly similar to the next. She immediately disqualified numbers two and three as they appeared for their five o'clock shadow. The man she'd been attacked by had such feminine features, she didn't think it'd be possible for him to grow facial hair. Number four walked through, shortly followed by number five. Neither were him. As soon as number six walked in, Kagome tensed considerably, her fingers gripping the frame.

"Number six." She announced, watching the man saunter to his spot, the number held just in front of his navel. His nose was slightly crooked, the bridge an off shade of magenta, green and yellow outlining and expanding to the inner corners and beneath his eyes. There was a cut on the side of his head that she swore was twice the size when she'd given it to him, little, angry nicks decorating the skin around the wound. That was her doing. That was the memento she was glad he was stuck with, even if his demon blood hastened his recovery. It didn't matter. She wasn't the only one currently standing marked.

"Give it one more moment." Kagura said, lightly placing her hand on Kagome's shoulder. As soon as all ten of the men were in the room - some detainees, some cops in disguise - and Koga had closed the door, she spoke. "Take a look at all of them. Are you sure?"

"Number six." Kagome stated again, more fervency in her tone. "That's him. He was the man at the coffee shop and he was the man that broke into Inuyasha's home."

Hojo gave six steady knocks against the window with the knuckle of his middle finger, and they watched as Koga emptied the room, the smile on the accused criminal's face growing wide and thin as he was personally led out by the wolf demon.

"You did great, thank you so much for your help." Kagura smiled.

"What happens now?" Kagome asked, turning around to face the lot of them.

"We interview him. Now's the time where we press him for any information he can give. He's our link to Naraku, so we're a step closer to tracking him down, and we're going to make sure this guy works with us." Sango replied assertively.

"Once we catch Naraku and trials begin, he'll be present. You'll have to testify against both of them." Kagura added.

"I'll do whatever you need."

"Good." Hojo grinned, watching Kagura walk off and in the opposite direction of the main office, lightly patting Kagome's upper back to lead her out the door. "Let's get you out of here."

"Wait," Kagome stopped in the center of the hall just outside the room, staring intently into the detective's blue eyes. Her determination took him back a bit as his fingers flinched away from her spine. "What's his name? I deserve to put a name to the face."

"It's Byakuya." He answered after a small moment of hesitation. "His name's Byakuya."

She swallowed the information, biting her bottom lip as she glanced to the floor, then darted her brown-eyed gaze back to him. "Thank you."

They walked out into the main office where Inuyasha sat, tapping his claws impatiently against the lining of his desk, his leg bobbing like a wind up toy bound tight. He jumped up at the sight of Kagome, quickly crossing the distance to meet her more than half way as she greeted him with a smile, her fingers loosely gripping the cloth of the arm of his sweater.

"Was he in there?"

"Yeah." She nodded curtly.

"Good, time for the interrogation?" He asked the detectives behind her.

"You know it." Sango replied.

"Let me see that fucker."

"Woah, woah, woah!" Hojo stepped in front of him, halting his path.

"Come on, I just want to _look._ I'm not gonna do anything." Inuyasha drawled.

"Why do you want to see him so bad all of a sudden?"

"Well, I had plenty of time to think out here and I've decided I'd get some nice closure if I got to see this man, too." The half demon feigned innocence, the smile curving his lips only serving to disturb the detectives before him.

"No." Sango crossed her arms, planting her weight on one hip. "No way. You're gonna punch him."

"Just once!"

"Get out of here!"

"I can break him faster than you guys!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure you can!"

"I just have a few words for him!"

"Well, write him a letter and we'll make sure he gets it!"

"Let me through!"

"Go home!"

"I should be part of the interview process! It's a good tactic to bring it down to a personal level, and he could potentially start talking faster!"

"You know damn well you can't do that! You aren't on the case, Inuyasha!"

"So!"

"You'd compromise everything!"

"No, I wou-"

Kagome reached up, gently flicking Inuyasha on the tip of his white ear, watching the appendage jerk to the side in response as his entire body froze and his voice completely hitched in his throat. He didn't look at her, his eyes stunned while facing his coworkers. "Come on," She spoke, her tone simple and level. "It's time to go, Inuyasha. You're in the way." She spun around on her heel, traveling to the door, only stopping to wait for her companion.

Sango blinked, covering her mouth to block the amusement she knew was written so clearly on it. She sniffed and cleared her throat, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible as she noticed her partner struggling to do the same, his lips pressed into a tight line. Inuyasha straightened, his body language no longer radiating defensive but slightly awkward and put off, scratching his temple as was his particular ism, and fixing the sweater over his shoulders to line up neatly.

"So, I'm gonna go." He raised his brows, pressing his own lips together. A small popping sound came as he released them and continued. "But it's only because I don't want to hear _shit_ from you two. Got it?"

"Yup, sure, got it." Hojo nodded, a smug expression foiling his casualty. The half demon squinted his ember eyes in a meager challenge, spinning around and allowing his silver ponytail to fly behind him, following after Kagome and promptly exiting the office.

—

Sango unbuttoned the ends of her dress shirt sleeves, rolling her left up above the crook of her elbow, then swapping sides to roll up the right. She looked in on the man beyond the two-way, his pasty forehead dampened with sweat, the fine, ungroomed hairs of his bangs sticking to his skin. It was an effective tactic of theirs to spike the thermostat in the room. It was one thing to make them mentally uncomfortable with loaded questions, it was another to increase their physical discomfort - all around aiding in their quicker crumbling. On top of that, Koga had gone through and removed some of the bulbs in the overhead lamps before throwing Byakuya to sit alone in the room over an hour ago, the setting dingy and humid and uninviting.

Perfect.

Hojo approached, his button up and tie entirely removed as he prepared for their routine in his black tee shirt. He faced his partner, the back of his right forearm held out to her. "Good cop."

"Bad cop." She winked, tapping the edge of her right elbow to his.

"How long do you think it'll take to crack him, doc?" Totosai asked from the sidelines. Miroku observed the perp before them. Byakuya was tapping his foot against the flooring at a steady pace, his lips curved down in disapproval, his chest raising as he heaved a heavy, throaty sigh.

"Hard to say until he starts talking. He hasn't said a word since he's been apprehended. My guess is he's testy. He's secure, but he's guarded. He hides behind his rooted confidence. Find his weak spot and he'll give. Or potentially snap."

Sango spared Miroku a brief side glance, smiling softly when she noticed their chief wasn't looking. His face was serious, violet eyes captivating her gaze as he discretely mouthed the words, "Be careful."

Hojo stepped through the entry first, expression straight, holding the door open with one hand and a notepad in the other as Sango followed through. It was incredible, she'd been told, how fast her demeanor could change; how she could step into any roll necessary for the part. Next to Inuyasha, who'd rightfully earned his place at the top as lead detective in the precinct - despite his unorthodox practices - she fell just below him for her strong abilities to make perps fold. She was versatile in her tactics, adaptable in the room, and justifiably a force to be reckoned with.

Byakuya tilted his head upward to face the two detectives, his skin glowing beneath the yellow light from the slimy-looking film of sweat on his cheeks. Without the slightest hint as to what anyone should have expected, Sango crossed the room, curved around the corner of the table and demanded the criminal to stand. He did nothing but stare at her, thin brows pinching together audaciously. Again, she told him to stand. There was no degree of malice in her tone, no aggression, no attitude. The order she spoke was with the sincerity of a ship's captain. What she said would be heeded no matter what, and as he chose to ignore her once more, wrists bound close together in his lap with metal cuffs, she flicked her foot around a leg of the chair and kicked it from beneath his seat.

He fell to the ground, clambering up to his feet with dangerous chuckles mixed with growls brushing past his thin lips. Sango made sure the chair was out of reach from him, turning to push the wooden table to the far wall and out of the way. Hojo stood back, leaning against the wall at the very edge of the mirror, his face unchanged.

"You don't want to talk, you don't get to sit."

He scoffed and rolled his eyes, leaning against the wall in back of him.

"You're not looking too good there, woman beater. You tired?" She baited, closing some of the distance between them, stopping with just a couple feet to spare.

Byakuya ground his jaw forward, the muscles at the joint flexing as he brought his teeth back where they belonged.

"Had a long night?"

His upper lip twitched.

"Hitting girls take a lot out of you?"

His head shifted slightly as Sango took two small steps forward, damn near in his face now, eyes slanted dangerously as she spoke again.

"Or was it the pounding she gave you that wore you out?"

Again, he scoffed, this time hard enough for spittle to fly from his mouth as he dramatically rolled his dark eyes. "I'd hardly call this a pounding."

"Really?" She feigned curiosity.

"Have you seen _her_ face? I'm sure the marks I left have set in nicely."

"Sure, she's looked better. But there's one small detail you're neglecting. She's human. She, like most of us, get bruises from bumping the corner of a table."

"What of it?"

"Well, you're a full-blooded demon. Your kind is difficult to harm and heals at a ridiculously fast rate, and yet..." Sango took an obvious glance at his wounded face and gashed head. "You're looking pretty worse for wear."

Another eye roll, this time swiveling his head to the side to face the neighboring wall instead of her.

"What's even better is once we lock you in a cell, you'll be labeled a woman beater. A lot of men in there don't take kindly to that."

"What, because a bruised septum and a cut on my head is clear indication of my crimes?" Byakuya chuckled. "How the hell would anyone know?"

"Oh, I'll make sure of it." Sango grinned, cocking a brow. "You think I don't have pull beyond these walls? You think one slip of the lip to the right guard wont spread your little secret of assault like wild fire? You'll have an awful rep before you're even indicted. The moment men see you walk through those doors, you'll be targeted. Your prissy, feminine looks will be scarred and bruised, and your ego will rightfully be smeared in the dirt. Your broken nose will stay this way, because everyone in there will want you to hold onto the little trophy Kagome gave you. Out here, you think you're something big, don't you? You think you're invincible because you hurt an unsuspecting girl, right? You're _nothing_. Not out here and definitely not in prison, and you'll have plenty of reminders coming your way for years to come."

"You're not allowed to threaten me! I know my rights!" He hissed.

"Who's threatening? I'm only trying to be informative. Hojo, did you hear me threaten Byakuya?" She asked with a smile, irreproachably. Hojo shrugged and shook his head, grimacing as he pretended he didn't hear a thing.

"You guys out there, knock twice if you heard me threaten him." Sango called to her coworkers watching in. Nothing. She turned back to the perp before her, raising a shoulder as she dismissed his accusation.

"You're all corrupt!"

"What, are you mad now? Are you mad because a woman's in charge? A woman's in your face and you can't do anything about it?" She badgered, finally beginning to raise her voice.

"You don't know _shit!"_

"Don't I? Enlighten me, then! _"_

Byakuya stared at her, violet eyes flickering over every inch of her face, studying as his chest rose with an unsteady inhale. As he dropped his breath, he let out an incredulous chuckle, shifting his sights to the side.

"Or, is the only way you know how to teach a lesson-"

_"God,_ woman beater, woman beater!" He drawled, unamused, bobbing his head from side-to-side. Byakuya stood up straight from the wall, leveling her challenge. "Is that all the material you've got? Look, if you think this has anything to do with the "reputation" you're giving me, you're sorely mistaken." He'd made quotation marks with the index and middle fingers of both chained hands, lifting them between their bodies so she'd see.

"Is that so? So, what _did_ it have to do with?"

"Is that a loaded question?" He smirked.

"No, a loaded question would be me asking how much Naraku paid you to attack her." She watched his conceit fade. "I was fishing for you to admit it yourself."

His discomfort notably increased as his Adam's apple bobbed with the thick swallow. He moved to step away from Sango, to create some space, but she clutched the front of his shirt and yanked him back, slamming him against the wall.

"Did I say you could move?"

"Sango-" Hojo calmly warned, dropping his pad of paper on the discarded table as he apprehensibly stepped up beside her. "Ease up a bit."

"What? No." She smiled, shaking her head, the collar of his tee still balled in her fist. "He's obviously the type of guy that likes being told what to do. All I gotta do is smack him around a little to show him who his new boss is, and he'll break."

"This isn't the way to do it. He's talking now, let's just keep the conversation going." He held up his hands, trying to break the two apart. Sango brought her other hand up to grab Byakuya securely, bringing his body forward only to crush him back against the wall, his head colliding with the cement.

"Here's what's gonna happen, princess," She spoke low, leaning closer to hover inches from his face. "You're gonna tell us everything we want to know, or I'm gonna give you a glimpse of what you have to look forward to in prison! Got it?"

"Sango!"

"Get the fuck off of me!" Byakuya growled.

"Or what? What are you gonna do?"

"It's not even ground-breaking that you know who he is, don't act like you have the upper hand!"

"But don't we? We have his lackey in custody, and he's seconds away from giving us what we need." She patronized.

"Like _hell!"_

Sango stepped back, the hint of an arrogant grin pushing the corners of her lips up as she crossed the floor and grabbed the discarded chair, dropping it down in the center of the heated room. Hojo created his own space, backing away to the table's new home, his fingers landing on the notepad but not picking it up. She silently commanded their perp to sit with the shift of her eyes that dragged from his body down to the seat. His expression was clearly ambivalent as he stayed put, thin lips twitching, eyes untrusting, sweat crawling down the side of his face.

Finally, he moved, squatting into the uncomfortable chair that only worked to further unease him, eyes inside and out of the immediate area focused on him as one of the remaining working lamp lights flickered in and out three times before going back to burning yellow.

"So," Sango began again, pacing around the room to stand before Byakuya. "How much _did_ he pay you?"

He rolled his violet eyes, cocking his jaw out and in, a small popping sound heard from the grinding motion.

"Alright, we'll make this easy. We'll come up with scenarios and you can just confirm or deny. Ready?"

No response.

"You're having trouble paying your bills. Or, better yet, you're an addict - that explains the sweats you've got right now. Jonesing. Craving. Your blood must be boiling, poor thing. You met Naraku by pure coincidence, and he offered you money in exchange for your assistance. You had no idea what you were getting yourself into. Money means drugs, so you took the bait."

"No." He plainly refuted.

"You're right, that doesn't make sense. How would Naraku have even a dime to his name right now? It's not like an asylum-escapee could hold down a normal retail job. Unless he's selling-"

"No."

"What about blackmail?" Hojo asked, his tone kind and approachable. "You don't seem the kind of person that's capable of concocting something this dangerous just for the hell of it. I can see there's more to you, and if he's holding something over your head, now's the time to tell us. We can work with you, Byakuya."

"You don't know shit about me." He dismissed with a sneer. "I'm not in this for money, I'm not into hard drugs, if anything _I'd_ be the blackmailer in this scheme considering the way this man's twisted mind works, and I have the sweats because you assholes turned the heat up to eighty-five fucking degrees!"

"Doesn't feel hot in here to me." Sango shrugged.

"So, you're saying he asked you to do his bidding and you agreed? Just like that?" Hojo inquired.

"Basically."

"Did you aid him in the murder of-"

"Oh, here we go again!" Byakuya rolled his head back and around dramatically, landing on his bony-looking shoulder as he laughed. "History's repeating itself, and you're about to chalk up the whole story of how Naraku's some sort of serial killer, aren't you? Don't bother!"

"What do you mean?" Hojo and Sango glanced at each other from the side.

"He didn't kill anyone!" He shouted, fervency in his beliefs, eyes glowing in his defensive hunch. "You guys had nothing, _nothing_ , and you were only able nail him down by planting incriminating evidence that didn't exist!"

"You don't believe he's a criminal?"

"That's not what I said. He's broken some laws here and there, he's built a record. He's just not the criminal your system has painted him out to be."

"A murderer." Sango stated, crossing her arms where she stood.

"Exactly."

"How do you know anything about Naraku? What makes you so sure?" Hojo pulled up a chair, opting now to sit across from Byakuya, sparing five feet's distance between them.

"Let's just say we have history." The demon shrugged, sitting back in his seat.

"That's not the answer we were looking for." Sango declared.

"Well, that's the only answer you're gonna get, sweetie."

"Try again."

"Go fuck yourself."

She grabbed a chair for herself, swinging it around to straddle beside Byakuya who leaned away as she neared. "Big talk for a guy in your position. See, here's the thing, considering you aren't cooperating but have confessed to your affiliation with Naraku, you could be pinned for everything he's done, and the potential is strong here."

"Aside from the assault, you don't have a thing on me."

"How about aiding an escapee?"

"Alright, you've got one thing." He smiled. "I'll do my time."

"How about stalking on two accounts?"

"So he took a few photos. Big deal."

"How about the murder of Abi Phoenix and her unsuspecting mother?" She delivered with more vehemency.

"Now that's where I have to stop you, because he hasn't-"

"He shot her mother in the head and _tortured_ Abi all night until she bled out, you piece of shit! And before you defend his innocence again, he personally left his DNA on Abi by biting her thigh! We have the strongest evidence necessary to prove it was him!"

"Do you have an eye witness?"

"We have his saliva!"

"DID SOMEBODY SEE HIM!?"

"Yes! You! Apparently, you're the only person since his escape that has had any personal contact with him! You seem to know his every move, so you must have known he murdered the two women! Maybe you even helped him! You think the men in prison will be hard on you for brutally attacking a woman, wait until they find out-"

"You're making shit up!"

"We have to work with what we've got, don't we!? This is what you could be indicted for! This is the fire you're playing with, Byakuya!"

"He didn't kill anybody!"

"Sure, he did! He did, and so did you! How strong do your roots run, huh? Did you help him back in the day, too!"

"You mean the crimes you incorrectly pinned on a mentally unhealthy man!?"

"I mean the murders he committed on women and children! He killed a little boy! He kidnapped and murdered him in the backyard of his family's cabin!"

"Our family hadn't been to that damn cabin in three years, and Naraku hated that fucking place!"

Sango's mouth hung agape as she straightened her back, allowing this new information to bleed through. His cheeks went a sickly pale, neck tensing as he stared at her, the hollow of his throat emphasized with his discomfort.

" _Our_ family?" Hojo spoke, leaning in slightly with an air of caution. Their perp was breaking, sweat dripping from his jaw line and soaking through his dirty, white shirt. He was nervous, a noticeable pulse pumping at the side of his neck, breathing elevated and heavy.

"So, you're related. That's how you know so much about him." Sango said.

"So fucking what!?" He spat defensively.

"That doesn't make sense, though. We have both yours and Naraku's DNA in the system and neither were matched to one another." Hojo said, brows furrowed as he reached for an explanation.

"Use your fucking brain, dumbass." Byakuya responded, his confidence raising as he embraced the now-exposed truth. "We aren't biologically related. Naraku was adopted."

"You're his younger brother."

"Ding, ding, ding! My parents thought themselves sterile since they were two clashing breeds of demons. They tried and tried and tried to get pregnant until a professional diagnosed that their contrasting biologics were too unstable an environment for a fetus. Hell, for semen. My mother's uterus was a war zone, you see. So, they adopted. They got my brother before he could even talk and it was a nice few years before I came around. I was deemed the "miracle child," and my brother was officially in the shadows from that day forward. He didn't take it to heart, though. He was... indifferent, I'd say. Indifferent to almost everything, really, but if there was one thing he hated, it was being still. If the house was too quiet or he ran out of things to do, he'd grow irrationally angry; he always had to be doing something stimulating. My brother's mentality began to slip when he was around, I don't know, ten or eleven. I was young, only seven, but I still remember the depthless look in his eyes when he first hurt an animal. Sure, I thought it was terrifying. How could a person do that to a cute, little bunny, right? It didn't take me long to realize Naraku wasn't a normal person, though. He never showed a hint of remorse when he did something wrong, was the biggest pathological liar you'd ever meet, either lacked or neglected control over his behavior, but still managed to be the most suave motherfucker around. That guy could manipulate the pants straight off of someone, but he was so charming not a single person batted an eye. Not even me. He was arrested several times over his teen years for animal cruelty; not the best hobby he could have picked up, even I can admit that. But not once did he ever target _people_ for his twisted gimmicks. Not to mention, the last few times my family went up to that stupid cabin in the woods, Naraku lost his absolute shit! And I _wish_ I was exaggerating! He'd break things, and scream, and curse, and kick, and punch holes in the walls, and demand to go home the entire fucking time. He wouldn't sleep while we were there, and he'd wander off into the woods and disappear for hours on end, which clearly wasn't a good thing considering what he was notorious for. So, we stopped going. Simple as that. Who knows why the hell he hated the place so much; probably because there's hardly anything to do in a secluded area. All I know is, it doesn't make sense that he'd ever willingly go back."

"He was arrested in the woods near the cabin."

"Fake."

"The little boy's body was dug up in the backyard."

"That doesn't mean he did it." Byakuya shook his head. "Hell, my father was more likely to kill a kid before Naraku ever would! He and my mother treated him like he was nothing, even after paying good fucking money for the adoption! I didn't want the limelight! I didn't want my brother to be treated as he was just because I was the one sperm that survived her fallopian tubes' ruthless defenses! For all I care, _they_ caused his mental instability or whatever personality disorder he was diagnosed with! They threw him out on the street when he was seventeen! They kicked him out and moved so he wouldn't be able to find his way back! I was the only one that thought he deserved a little leeway! He wasn't right in the head and wasn't getting any sort of therapeutic help! How was he supposed to cope!? He was accused of all these murders, and it drove me crazy how that ugly, half-breed cop pinned all this false evidence on him like all psychopaths are bad! They aren't! There's this stupid stigma placed on psychopaths, that they're all murderers, but they're not! My brother may lack empathy, but he's not stone cold! He has a heart! He's never done a single bad thing to me! Not once! He lied about a lot of shit he did as a kid, but never once placed the blame on me! He was a good older brother!"

"No, not all psychopaths are killers." Sango spoke. "Not all killers are psychopaths. You're right. But you're brother-"

"YOU SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH!" Byakuya heatedly rose from his seat, cutting her off as he kicked his chair away and raised his cuffed hands to strike. She jumped back, but Hojo was on him before anything could happen, spinning Byakuya around and pinning him against the cement wall. He was gasping for air, struggling to escape the hand Hojo gripped his untidy, black hair with, body weight applied to his core so he was effectively restrained.

Sango held up her hand to the two-way mirror, knowing someone was probably preparing to break up the scene in case things were about to get messy, which she wanted to prevent. That couldn't happen yet. He was finally talking, and if they ended the interview now, the next time around would be twice as difficult. So long as Hojo could calm the detained demon, they could continue.

"There's no need to get angry, alright? Take a deep breath. That's it. One more. Good." Hojo soothed, backing off of Byakuya as his temper diminished. He took the liberty of grabbing the thrown chair and placing it where it was before, allowing the demon to sit and wind down as the tension in the room dwindled.

"He didn't kill anybody." He stated again, staring at the floor. "Abi's just a casualty in your half-demon's twisted game. He wants Naraku back in that hell hole so bad, it's pathetic."

"And how do you suppose he got the saliva sample?"

"Oh, please. Like that's even real. All you guys have to do is say you got it, and the system would take your word for it."

"What if we showed you the proof?"

"Then I'd insist you attained the DNA from his stay at the asylum and planted it."

"Why would they have his DNA?"

"Who knows, but it's a possibility."

"You're very adamant in your opinion. You're incredibly loyal to your brother. It's understandable that you'd fight for him now that he's free; even going as far as running his errands." Hojo leaned in from his seat again, playing up the empathy.

"He's been through enough. I don't blame him for wanting payback." Byakuya's knee started bobbing up and down, growing faster as he tried applying more weight into it to get it to stop. "He justifiably hates Inuyasha, and I'm on board with anything he has planned for him."

"So where does Kagome land in all of this?" Sango asked, her tone notably softer than any other time she'd spoken before.

"Just like Abi, she's a casualty." He smirked. "My brother can be... obsessive. He started following her to spike the half-breed's anxiety and paranoia, but then it evolved into something more. He had a reputation given to him by Inuyasha, kind of like how you tried to pin one on me, so he's decided to live up to it. Polaroids. Polaroids, everywhere. Quite frankly, it was annoying, but who am I to tell him how to get his revenge? In all honesty, though, Kagome deserves the backlash she's getting if she's choosing to stay with the guy."

"I thought he's never targeted people before." Hojo posed.

Byakuya shifted uncomfortably, handcuffs jingling as he brought his sweating palms closer together. "Well, yeah. Before now."

"That's a pretty big leap. And you were ready to kill for him?"

He half-scoffed, half-chuckled. "I was actually under strict orders _not_ to kill the girl. He wanted her maimed, really. He wanted Inuyasha to see the damage he was inflicting."

Sango sunk into her chair a little lower. It made sense. Kagome had mentioned he wasn't cutting off her air supply when he choked her. He was only trying to leave his mark.

"And you still believe he didn't hurt a single living being, human or demon, before this?" Sango tried.

"God, are you not listening!? Your corrupt officer framed him!"

"But why?" Hojo asked. "For what reason would Inuyasha have an innocent man put in prison?"

"Probably because these crimes were really taking place, but you guys arrested the wrong man. Inuyasha seems prideful. Like the kind of guy that doesn't like to admit when he's made a mistake. He couldn't take the embarrassment since this was such a high-profile case, so he made sure all signs pointed to Naraku."

"Don't you think that's a little too coincidental? I mean, Hakudoshi's body was pulled from your family's backyard. If Naraku was falsely accused-"

"Planted. He was planted. Keep up."

"How could Inuyasha have had the time to plant Hakudoshi's body? We have tapes, plenty of eye-witness proof, that proves Inuyasha was here, at the precinct, interrogating Naraku the entire time most of the searches for evidence was happening. The only time he went on the field was when we drove up to the cabin and unburied Hakudoshi."

"Then he had a buddy working with him. All of you have partners, who's his?"

"I understand your stance on this, I do. You want to believe your brother. You probably feel like you even _have_ to because of everything he's been through. There's guilt gluing you to Naraku's side." Hojo said, allowing Sango to pick up where he stopped, instinctively knowing they were riding the same wave.

"But you're looking at this all wrong. Believe us when we say we want to help you. We are not against you here. You need to think of us as deforesters, not landscapers. We're in the business of uprooting every fine piece of grooly evidence, not planting it. Inuyasha was here, and we can show you. Abi wasn't just some casualty, she was the link that pointed to your brother's arrest. Hakudoshi was innocently slain. He was a _little boy_. You think your brother doesn't deserve this treatment, but what about Hakudoshi? What about all the other innocent people killed by Naraku? What about them?"

Byakuya's deep eyes pierced the ground at his feet, face contorted and wet, stray hairs sticking to his cheeks and neck, breathing unsettled as he clasped his hands together but couldn't seem to hold them steady. He began shaking his head, the rhythm small and barely noticeable, allowing his mouth to part, a drop of sweat flowing over his upper lip and meshing into the line where it met the bottom.

"Show me." He whispered. "I want to see every piece of damning evidence you have."

—

The room was sitting at a more comfortable temperature now, the thermostat adjusted accordingly and a water bottle delivered for Byakuya as he sat in the room alone once more. The table was put back in the center, his arms resting against the wood as he stared down at it, waiting.

Sango and Hojo reentered with manilla folders in their hands, choosing their seats opposite Byakuya and placing their items on the tabletop.

"Sorry it took so long." Hojo said.

"Just show it to me." He mumbled.

Sango opened the folder she held, dragging out a glossy, black and white, overhead photo of Inuyasha questioning Naraku almost exactly nine years ago, six days from the date, the timestamp printed clearly in the bottom, left corner. She placed that in front of Byakuya, turning it around so it was right-side up for him. The next was a photocopy of an incident report where evidence was found at Naraku's apartment, dated and timed only eighteen minutes apart.

"In the video, Inuyasha is trying to get Naraku to admit to Hakudoshi's disappearance. No one knew he was dead yet. He was consistently pressing him to get him to reveal his location. He was trying to save the boy. At the same time, Naraku had given just enough information to get a warrant to search his home. Detectives found polaroids on the walls of women and children he'd stalked, women and children that had active missing reports out for their safe return."

"That doesn't mean anything. The time on Inuyasha's picture could have been photoshopped in." He argued.

"You can believe that all you want, Byakuya. You can bathe in your denial for all I care, but this is it. This is the proof you asked for. Inuyasha was in this station, locked in a room with your brother for hours, all while other investigators searched his place. How could he have planted anything?" Sango asked, her frustration slowly hiking.

"Well, where was he _before_ the interrogation began?"

"Arresting Naraku."

"And before that?"

"Oh my god." She could tell it was a never-ending cycle, the huff from her nose heated like a dragon's.

"Look at this!" Hojo instructed, his tone striking critical for the first time. He opened his own folder, slapping down image-after-image of the scene they'd walked in on at Abi Phoenix's residence. Pictures of her mother's lifeless body, of Abi sprawled on the floor, slightly decayed, closeups of her brutally-inflicted wounds, the contusions on her neck, the bite just above her knee, her dark hair matted in dried blood. "See that mark on her leg? That's where Naraku _bit_ Abi! That's where he left behind his DNA! She was murdered by your brother!"

"Bullshit! What reason did he have to get revenge on Abi? They had no affiliation with one another, they-"

"She was his girlfriend nine years ago! She was the reason he was arrested!" Sango interjected.

"That doesn't make sense!"

"When she was questioned by the police, she told them the last time she'd spoken to Naraku, he'd said he was heading to his family's cabin with his nephew!" Hojo yelled.

"No, that's not right! Naraku didn't have a girlfriend, and he doesn't have a nephew!"

"Think about it!"

"I'm telling the _truth!"_ Byakuya shouted, slamming his fists against the table. "He's never been able to hold down a relationship in his life! Hell, he even told me he finds the opposite sex repugnant and never felt any desire to be with them - sexually or what have you!"

Hojo sat back in his seat, the heat fading from his expression, though his lips pressed into a flat line as he allowed Byakuya's words to settle, to cool. He nodded, shrugging his brows as he spoke again, this time more levelly. "Think about it."

"E-even if he did have a girlfriend, we don't have a nephew - _he_ doesn't have a nephew." He shakily said, eyes widened with unclarity. Hojo pulled another photo from his folder, placing it on top of the others in the center of the table. The little boy stood with a bright smile on his face, white hair falling over his shoulders as he held a large basketball between his hands.

"This is Hakudoshi. He was eight years old and his body was discovered in the backyard of your parents' cabin."

"Inuyasha worked for hours to make Naraku slip, and a warrant was finally issued for us to search the premises. He was young, and terrified, and alone when he was killed. You want justice for your brother, but what about him?" Sango added, watching Byakuya's shoulders tremble from the applied guilt.

"You honestly didn't know?" Hojo inquired.

"No, o-of course not. I always believed him when he said he was set up, I-I thought I knew him better than anyone." He replied, the breath heavy against his lungs.

"I find that hard to believe."

Byakuya's violet gaze instantly redirected away from Hakudoshi's image, colliding with Hojo's skeptical, blue eyes.

"You mean to tell me you had no idea what pictures were inside the envelope you handed Kagome?"

"H-he didn't let me see them. The envelope was sealed when he gave it to me, I figured they were the same old thing." He hastily opposed.

"Well, it was; you're not wrong there." Hojo smiled incredulously. One of the remaining items in his folder was the very same envelope, slightly wrinkled, pointed corners of polaroids poking out from the opening. He dumped the contents on the table, tossing the empty envelope down beside it all. "Same old thing, same old Naraku! These are old photos he managed to keep of past victims! Look at them, Byakuya! Take a look at all the people he's stalked throughout the years!"

He did so, spreading them out, confused, taken aback, not knowing what to say anymore, studying, looking through and stopping as he spotted the silver-haired little girl he remembered from third street. Bile was rising into his throat as his stomach twisted and lurched in his abdomen. The temperature was normalized in the room, but his cheeks felt clammy. She'd gone missing when he was nine. Naraku used to babysit her for a little cash. He remembered the sirens blaring as they raced around the bend to her house, he remembered the police coming to their door to question his parents and then moving on, he remembered the incessant rumors about her dad spreading throughout the neighborhood community, the pain he would see on her mother's face when she watched little children walk by, the hint of envy as they went to elementary school - something her daughter would never do. And he remembered them eventually moving away.

"What-" His breath hitched as his nerves began getting the better of him, fingers shaking against one another. "What do you want to know?"

"Is there anyone else working with you two?" Sango asked without hesitation.

"No."

"How did you get Inuyasha's spare key?"

"I have a detachable eye, it's disgusting but one of the quirks of being a mixed race of demons. Stole a uniform from one of your cops and my scent was masked enough to blend with the mess of detainees you have in this building. Set up the eye, saw his combo, came back and got it. I got lucky finding the key in the locker; I was beginning to think he didn't have one."

"And Kagome's?"

"Her landlord is a dumbass with multiple masters in an unlocked office in the basement."

"Your parents, we never located them." Hojo stated, waiting for Byakuya to fill in the gap.

"They live upstate on a ranch. They're fine."

"And your brother," Sango leaned inward, maintaining a careful tone. "Where is he?"

He hesitated, eyes slowly shifting back and forth between the two detectives. His throat clenched, and he didn't know what to do. Naraku was still his brother. How could he turn his back on him after everything - no, that was all a lie. Naraku was the one inflicting pain, not the other way around. He was a serial killer.

The thought felt acidic on his brain.

Still, as he opened his mouth to speak, his throat clenched and held his voice captive. He tried again, to tell the truth, to give up the headache-inducing charade, but his abdomen tightened like a shockwave had coursed through the surrounding muscles.

What was he supposed to do? What was he supposed to say? What was right? What was wrong? He was going to be doing time in prison anyway, maybe if he willingly took the fall for his brother, Naraku could start anew.

That wasn't the way it worked though, was it? His brother had grown obsessed with Inuyasha, obsessed with his revenge. He was going to kill again whether Byakuya took the fall or not. His brother was sick.

He deserved a chance.

But he was going to kill.

"I," Byakuya's bottom lip trembled as he hung his head, staring at the wood between his forearms. "I want a lawyer."

Two hard knocks against the mirror behind them rang heavily throughout the dense room, effectively ending the interview.

**Inuyasha's Residence**

Inuyasha stomped around the apartment, huffing and puffing as he made sure the windows were secure for the fifth time and counting, rushing out of view for his next task. Kagome sat on the kitchen counter, watching him travel through with his ever-prominent scowl, propped with one hand just behind her butt while the other held the strawberry she nibbled. She knew it would be irrelevant to point out how repetitive he was being. She knew how this time of the month spiked his blood pressure, and with Naraku still on the loose and his teammates hardly communicating anything with him, there was very little comfort in tonight's new moon.

She could hardly blame him. She'd tried calming him down a few hours ago, but he had every right to be high strung. If Naraku has been stalking the two of them for months now, there was a huge probability that he knew of Inuyasha's human night. Not that it would provide an inkling of consolation for the irritable half demon, Kagome couldn't help but hope Naraku had spent his time being more focused on her. He could rob her of every secret she hid from the world, just so long as he didn't take this one from Inuyasha.

He walked into the kitchen, stopping close by, ember eyes dulled with anxiety, staring at her legging-clad legs that dangled from the marble counter. Even though he wasn't looking at her face, she gave him a congenial smile, one she hoped would express her empathy for the situation at hand. With a tense sigh, he turned around and she knew he was about the repeat the entire process all over again.

"Hey," She extended a leg out, barely skimming his thigh with a toe but serving to halt his path nonetheless. "You've got it all, Inuyasha. Everything's locked up tight. We're gonna be perfectly safe."

"One more time." He grunted, still not looking at her.

"No more times." Kagome scooted her bottom closer to the edge of the counter, reaching her foot out to nudge him in her direction. He was reluctant. Rigid. Strained. She nudged him again and he finally gave, glancing at her with an unamused expression as he stepped his left foot back to open his front to her. Using the leverage she was granted, she pinned his hips between both ankles and pulled until he gave her what she wanted and came to stand between her knees.

"What?" He grumbled.

She grabbed his hands and gently placed them to rest on the tops of her thighs.

"Kagome."

She shushed him, the sound quick and gentle, tenderly raking her nails up and down his bare forearms. He huffed again, the sound clenched in his throat, but he didn't try to pull away. Kagome dragged her fingers up to the crook of his elbow, tickling slightly from the way he twitched, secretly enjoying how sensitive his skin became when he was on the brink of transforming, traveling up to his biceps and going inside the hem of his tee so she could skim the faded edge of the tattoo on his arm. He was beginning to ease, beginning to soften, his thumbs rubbing back and forth over the material of her leggings. Kagome leaned in, placing a small and playful kiss on his chin.

"I don't have time for this." He said. It was gruff, but wasn't the least bit convincing. He never moved away. In fact, his hands had moved up to her hips, thumbs now meshing between her pelvis and the softness of her thighs.

"You can check the locks as many times as you want, but it won't stop the sun from setting and I know that's what you're really trying to do."

"Don't get all philosophical on me."

"Then relax. Everything's gonna be fine."

"Not if he tries anything."

"Who says he will? Nothing has happened in the previous months on this night, right? Maybe he doesn't even know."

"I can't take that chance, Kagome. You _know_ I can't take that chance." Inuyasha rebutted, shifting his head to the side, glaring at the drawn curtains of the closest window. "If anything happens tonight, I won't be able to protect you as well as any other night."

"I'm not worried."

"Well, you should be." He said earnestly.

"Well, I'm not! Look - hey, look at me!" Golden eyes shifted, landing on the bruise that had settled into her cheek. The last she'd seen it, which wasn't all that long ago, it was a nasty mixture of green and yellow, outlined with sprinkles of purple. It was healing, but he still stared at it as if it were freshly-inflicted and the bane of the Earth. "I trust you. Nothing will stop me from trusting you, not even the moon. Get that through your thick skull, Inuyasha, because I'm really not worried. And if it makes you feel any better, I'll double check everything for you so you can stop second guessing yourself. Alright?"

He rolled his eyes, giving her a small shake of his head as he ground his jaw outward.

_"Alright?"_ Kagome tried again, this time with a little more fervency, moving her hands to grip the slant in his shoulder muscles, giving a warning squeeze so he'd take her seriously.

"Alright, alright. Whatever. It's your funeral."

"Make sure The Black Parade plays at it." She teased.

"That's not fucking funny." Inuyasha groaned, leaning down to bury his face in the curve of her neck. She wrapped her arms around the nape of his, welcoming him, allowing him to clutch her tighter than normal as he hissed a curse and shuddered. Through the curtains, Kagome could see the night resting in, the orange and pink hues of the sunset vanishing completely.

His hearing dulled incredibly, making him feel stuffed up, his equilibrium swaying slightly as he gathered himself against her. Tucking inward even more, he felt a swarm of gooseflesh travel over his body like tiny electric shocks thieving away his supernatural gifts. Everything was bland suddenly. Plain. Limited. He hated it. It was unsettling to be this vulnerable.

He felt the tips of her fingers caressing over the bumps of his spine at the base of his neck, and he finally blinked open his eyes. Her inner thighs were relaxed alongside his hips, her mouth pressed to the shirt on his shoulders, the hot exhales leaving her nose seeping through the cloth and gracing the skin beneath. She was being so patient, tender, as if the transformation was something painful for him. Of course it wasn't, and he was sure she was well aware. It wasn't the first new moon they'd spent together in all the years they've known one another. Still, that never stopped her from waiting him out, never saying a word until she was sure he was adjusted.

Inuyasha sighed defeatedly, stepping back and standing tall, unable to hide the way he avoided looking at Kagome. Maybe he was sloppy, or maybe it was because he was human for the next twelve hours or so - truth be told, probably the former; he couldn't blame everything on the night of the new moon, no matter how overwhelming his emotions became. - but his shame was evident, as was his lack of confidence the darkness had graciously provided. He believed her when she said she trusted him, he had no reason not to, but that didn't stop him from thinking she was stupid. So fucking stupid. He had a horrible feeling pooling in the pit of his gut, bubbling, churning wildly, heating his core like his demon blood used to, and it put him on edge.

It had been six days since Kagome was attacked; six days since he initially failed to provide her the protection he promised. If something happened tonight while they were under the same roof and he failed again, he didn't think he could live with himself. But that was selfish, wasn't it? He was only thinking about the way he felt. She wasn't worried, wasn't scared, wasn't even bothered by the diminishing marks on her face. Yeah, she was stupid and he would argue that until the day he died, but she was also way more intuitive than he was. If her gut wasn't telling her to tread carefully, then maybe it was just his human emotions and the effervescent need to protect that was fooling him into thinking something may go wrong.

Kagome pulled Inuyasha's ponytail to the front of his shoulder, combing the stark black ends she'd always expressed she loved so much with her nails. He still hadn't looked at her but, _god,_ did he want to. The sooner he looked, he realized, the sooner she'd stop her ministrations. Selfish, yes, but that's a degree of greed he could accept within himself. She shifted her head, he could see in his peripherals, and her hands slid up his neck, fingers gently massaging the lobes of his ears, the feeling foreign and slightly weird. He didn't stop her. Instead, he subconsciously leaned into it, effectively blowing his cover. There was mirth in her brown eyes as he caught her gaze, her smile scrunching her nose, and her fingers fumbled to the tops of his ears, still rubbing, still foiling his act.

"Move," She said, a giggle on her breath. "I've gotta check the house since you _clearly_ didn't do a good enough job."

"Punk ass." He grunted, stepping out of her way. Kagome grabbed a strawberry from the bowl beside her and put it in his eagerly-accepting mouth before hopping down from the counter and working her way from window-to-window. She pushed up on the borders, making sure they were all stuck securely by the locks, readjusting the curtains she'd pushed aside and moving onto the next. Lastly, she checked the the door, unlocking and re-locking so Inuyasha had the satisfaction of the bolt clicking into place.

"Everything looks good to me. What about your gun?"

"Loaded and on me."

"You can't sleep while wearing it." She grimaced.

"Makes sense since I'm not sleeping." He shrugged, discarding the top of the strawberry in the trash.

"Oh, that's right. It's the all-nighter. I'll stay up with you."

"No."

"Why not?"

"There's no need."

"Four eyes are better than two."

"You can't stay up. You're practically an old lady with how early you usually fall asleep."

"Just because you have the unhealthy habit of doing it all the time, doesn't mean I don't have it in me!"

"I don't need to sleep as much as humans!"

"And I've been reserving my energy just for tonight!"

"Bullshit! Ten bucks says you don't make it past two am."

"Twenty says you're the one that falls asleep first." Kagome challenged, laughing as he chucked a strawberry at her.

Her eyes were heavy as she watched one of the lesser-rated episodes of The Twilight Zone, making sure the volume to the chilling opening theme was low enough that it wouldn't disturb the sleeping man at the other end of the couch. It was surprising that he'd given in to the fatigue, despite how much she'd hoped for it from the beginning. All it took was some simple caressing and he was a puddle on the sofa, melting and dozing off until he couldn't fight it anymore, and she silently thanked his human night for making the guy substantially more sensitive than he'd ever willingly admit to being. Even under the illumination of the television, the black and white contrast bouncing off of his even skin, he looked peaceful. His scowl wasn't dominant, his brows were relaxed, and his lips were slightly parted as he steadily breathed in contentment. For his added comfort, she'd happily stay up all night. _Plus,_ it would be fun to rub it when he woke up that he owed her some money since it was hitting four-forty in the morning and she was still conscious.

She leaned forward, minding that the motion was controlled to not alert Inuyasha, going for her glass for a sip of flat soda, fully relying on the small intake of caffeine to perk her up for the few remaining hours she had. As she reached, her phone vibrated against the coffee table, claiming her undivided attention as her hand snagged the device instead. It was the god-awful hours of the morning, who in the world could have been texting her?

The number was unfamiliar, though the area code was the same as her own. She opened the message, a chill rushing down her spine as she read the text three times over.

_Kagome, is this still your number?  
This is Kikyo. I need your help..._

The last time Inuyasha had spoken to her about his ex was when he was standing in her living room, telling her the truth she had been resistant to hear for so long. He was naturally worried about Kikyo's wellbeing, considering she'd disappeared from his place without a trace while fighting her addiction, and though he seemed to be masking it all well - maybe for Kagome's own sake - it must have been eating away at him. But why would she message _her_ and not Inuyasha? What could she possibly do for Kikyo that Inuyasha couldn't?

Her phone buzzed again in her palm.

_I'm sorry for texting at this hour. I don't know what else to do..._

She needed help. That's what she'd said, she needed help. She was last seen in an unhealthy state, what if she never fully got better? What if she relapsed?

Even worse, what if Naraku knew about her too?

_It's okay, I'm up. What's wrong?_

It was only a small moment before Kikyo replied. Kagome couldn't help the sturdy beat of her heart thumping against her ribcage as she waited.

_I got into some trouble, I can explain later. I think I'm by your apartment, will you pls meet me?_

_Yes! Where, exactly? Are you okay?_

It made sense that she didn't know Kagome was currently staying with Inuyasha.

_Near the old cafe and pancake house. Idk if you're still in contact, but I don't want Inuyasha knowing. Don't tell him._

She swallowed thickly, glancing over to his sleeping form. A guilt instantly washed over her. How could she not tell him? He's probably been so worried, so afraid. If there was anyone that deserved to know, it was him. Why wouldn't Kikyo want Inuyasha knowing? He would do anything to make sure she was safe.

Nonetheless, it was her choice. She needed to respect that, didn't she? Maybe if she met with Kikyo, she could convince her to come back to Inuyasha's. Then it would be right on all accounts. Wouldn't it?

The thought of the two of them together made it feel like a large, dense rock was dropped into her stomach, causing it to sink. It wasn't important, though. Her feelings weren't important right now. Kikyo was in trouble. Choosing not to help to spare her from the sting of jealousy was the worst thing she could ever consider. There was more than just herself involved in this. On top of it all, Kagome desperately needed to get to Kikyo before Naraku targeted her too.

_Stay there._

She hit send. Stared at the virtual keypad beneath her hovering thumbs. Then began typing once more.

_I'll be there in ten._

As carefully as possible, she unfolded her legs from beside her, glad she was too comfortable to change from her leggings when they sat down to watch T.V. hours ago. As her bare feet met with the throw rug, she slowly rose, freezing as Inuyasha readjusted his position. Kagome stood in a semi-squat, her quads burning from the power pose as she waited him out, letting him settle, holding it until he gave that heavy sigh of deep sleep she'd been impatient to hear, then fully extended her legs in relief. She took every step with the intention of silence, clutching the notches of her shoes in her hands and deciding it'd be safer to slip them on in the hall. His car keys, thankfully, weren't attached to an obnoxiously large set of keychains and rings like hers were, so folding her fingers around the three keys attached by a belt clip was easy to do while preventing a loud jingle that would no doubt wake Inuyasha. At a time like this, she legitimately didn't know how to express how grateful she was that he kept his work set separate, as well.

Unlocking the door, though slow, was simple. The small scrape the chain gave hardly disturbed him, and the bolt was slid open right as a commercial flickered on the tv, so it masked the sound. Kagome twisted the knob, cracked the door enough for her to slide out, and pulled the door shut. She wouldn't be gone for long - thirty minutes at the most. He'd, of course, be pissed when she got back, but seeing who she was with would hopefully provide some cushion. She had a legitimate reason for leaving.

As she got downstairs, Kagome dropped her canvas shoes to the ground without worry, sliding her feet in and adjusting the heels and tongues as necessary as she stumbled outside and to Inuyasha's car. The vehicle came to life as soon as she twisted the key in the ignition, and she slid the seat forward and adjusted the mirrors as quickly as she could. She glanced at her cellphone one last time before driving off, checking to see if she had any other texts from Kikyo. Nothing. It wasn't anything too abnormal for the woman, she was never very good at responding. Nonetheless, at a time like this, an "okay" or a "thank you" would have been nice.

The roads were dark as she stepped out of the car, sunlight still a couple of hours away. The street lamps were few and far between near her apartment, the neighborhoods slightly sketchy. She'd parked behind the coffee shop she used to frequent, venturing around the corner and to the front. The pancake house Kikyo mentioned was most likely the mom and pop shop a half a block down, but as she made her way closer, she realized there wasn't a single sign of life around.

Kagome pulled up their texts, sending one saying she was here and waiting for a body to pop into her line of sight, but as the seconds ticked away, an uneasy and dreadful sensation made home in the pit of her abdomen. Something was wrong. Something was coming. She could physically feel the undoing taking place. It was getting increasingly difficult to swallow, to stand still, and her eyes were flickering over the streets around her until something told her it was time to go. Now.

Never in her life had she felt more like a sitting duck.

Kagome spun around, speed-walking her way up the street and back to the car, relieved when it was in view. Clicking the second button down on the remote, she unlocked the door so she could slide right in, but as she latched onto the handle and yanked it open, a powerful force slammed it shut, ripping the lever from her grip. The light from within had turned on from the initial open, bringing the face beside her into comprehensible view.

"Long time no see," Onigumo grinned, the charming glimmer in his ruby eyes as evident as the day she'd first met him. "I've missed you so much, Kagome."

"Shit!" She hissed, instantly running in the opposite direction. She'd made it three steps before a sharp yank to her hair stopped her in her hurried tracks, yelping more from fear than pain. He walked forward, holding her captive with the fist full of locks, pressing his torso flush against her back, curving his calloused, scratchy fingers around her throat, her head firmly tilted back to rest on his shoulder. His breath stank as he chuckled, the sound malevolent all on its own.

Naraku moaned, kissing the bruise on her cheek, his chapped lips lingering in place before the click of their separated moisture rang in the night. Kagome shuddered, gasping with every touch.

"Thanks for coming to my rescue."


	10. Finale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys have absolutely no idea how much research and work went into this fic. I've had to clear my Google search history on multiple occasions because it just looked sketchy as fuck and my FBI agent was probably getting real sick of my shit.
> 
> I really wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who's read this story, and even those who are just reading it now. I can hardly begin to describe the gratitude I feel. The reviews and keyboard smashes and simple comments saying, "…fuck." were all so amazing and appreciated, and also very rewarding! Thank you all so much!
> 
> Also I want it noted, just for my own pride, that the fighting/martial arts mentioned in chapter 4 and coming up in this chapter are actually choreographed. Like, I got the fuck up out of my seat and physically choreographed the scenes. I'm trained in some martial arts so I did my best to apply that to my writing, and I'm really glad no one walked in on me throwing hands at the air.
> 
> Okay, I'm done rambling! I hope you enjoy the conclusion to In Between! Thank you so much for reading!

Inuyasha stirred as a shiver crawled over his skin, discomfort disturbing his sleep and waking him as he blinked his eyes open with a meager grunt. The apartment was still mostly dark, save for the light from the momentarily-blinding rays from the television, but he figured the sun was beginning its ascent into the sky from the way distant sounds were reaching his ears once more. He closed his eyes, knowing he wouldn't fall back asleep but unwilling to allow the lethargy to leave just yet. He could already feel the ache in his neck from sleeping on the couch, but it still wasn't enough motivation to get him to move any more than wiggling his foot to check and see that Kagome was still nearby. When his toes brushed nothing but air, he reached a little further and grazed the rough texture of a throw pillow.

Perking his head up, he blinked a few times to focus his vision on the vacant side of the sofa. Inuyasha took in the scents of the room, her aroma still around but diminished. It wasn't fresh. Reality began to sink in as he curled up to a sitting, an unnerving sensation tingling within his stomach as he swiveled his head to look about the room. The bathroom door was open. The TV's volume was set low to a mumble. Her scent wasn't stronger no matter which way he faced. Kagome was gone.

He jumped from the couch, growling a curse as he snatched his phone from the counter to check for any notifications. Nothing. There were no abnormal odors around; no one had come inside. What the fuck could have possibly happened while he slept? This was why he hated letting his guard down on the night of the new moon. Too much got past him. Too much could occur that he had very limited power to prevent. Inuyasha dialed Kagome's number, putting the call on speaker as he stormed out of the apartment, following her feint scent down the stairs and toward the lobby. It went to voicemail.

"Kagome, where the fuck are you!? Answer your phone!" He demanded at the beep. He kept pace down the stairwell, immediately hitting redial and calling her cell again. Voicemail. He hung up that time, his bare feet slapping against the tile of the small lobby. Her scent led out the door and he damn near halted in his tracks from the way his entire body went violently rigid. She left the building completely. Hours ago, and it wasn't by force. How fucking stupid do you have to be not to understand how horrible of an idea that was? What could have compelled her? Jesus, _why_ did she leave?

Inuyasha was fuming, his nose suddenly catching a horrendous stench as he stomped forward and threw the door open, bringing him to a stop right there in the doorway. It was familiar and recent, and he realized he'd been so hyper focused on Kagome's scent that he almost completely missed this one. A painful ache churned inside of him. The scents of the two didn't mix, and he was becoming more and more disturbed as he tried to figure out what the hell was going on. Inuyasha flinched as his deafening ringtone went off in his hand, forgetting he'd turned it all the way up just after turning human the night before. Kagome's name and contact picture had the screen coming to life, her bright smile only making him all the more furious.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now!?" He answered, stepping back inside and dropping the door.

"Woah," A deep voice on the opposite end drawled, smooth and low. "Is that any way to greet an old friend?"

An unbearable chill washed over Inuyasha's body, each muscle quaking as it passed through, keeping him glued in place as his stomach gradually turned to lead, weighing heavily within his own abdomen.

"It's been a long time, Inuyasha." He said his name slow, enunciating every syllable.

"What - how did you..."

"Oh, it was easy. She's much like you, you see. She has a hero complex. Texted her saying I was Kikyo and in trouble, and she waltzed on out the door to save her. Didn't even have to come up with a sob story to twist her leg a bit."

It dawned on him that he'd never told her. Of course, she didn't know any better, Kagome thought Inuyasha was still on the lookout for Kikyo. This was his fault.

"Let her go." Inuyasha ordered, the words clenched in his throat. His teeth ground tight causing his demand to come out as more of a deep, guttural growl than a clear bark, and the chuckle from the psychopath in the receiver had his blood boiling over and pumping searingly through each vein of his body.

"I'm sorry, I didn't get that."

"LET HER GO!" He bellowed, the shout echoing in the lobby he stood in. "You want me, you've got me! She has _nothing_ to do with this!"

"You'll just have to come and get her." Naraku laughed. There was a muffled scream in the background, and Inuyasha's ears inadvertently pinned to his head. It wasn't close, it sounded far off; like Naraku was standing a good distance away, but nonetheless, it came from Kagome and it caused something to stir excruciatingly within him.

"Awe, did you hear that?" Naraku taunted, his voice knocking up an octave. "I think she's saying, "Come save me. Come save me, Inuyasha." Oof, she's a feisty one."

Inuyasha couldn't tell what was happening. As he was talking, he'd heard Kagome's grunts getting louder, like Naraku had moved closer to her. Then he suddenly lurched away, the _oof_ more of a reaction sound than anything.

"Where the fuck are you!?"

"In all the time we've spent together, have I _ever_ given you an answer that easily?"

Inuyasha struck a nearby wall, his fist easily punching through the drywall material. "I'm not playing these games again!"

"If you want your precious Kagome back, you will. Don't worry, I'm not completely heartless. I left you a clue to give you a head start. I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon, Inuyasha."

The line went dead, three dull beeps signifying so.

Immediately, Inuyasha stormed after the repugnant smell. He curved around the corner to the three adjacent walls of mailboxes labeled specifically pertaining to each unit, his ember eyes landing on the polaroid picture taped to his own. He ripped it off, his mouth parting as he took in the low-quality, scratchy sight of Kagome on her knees on the dingy, damp, brown floor. Her dark hair was wild, covering a good portion of her face as she looked into the camera, shadowed eyes hidden beneath deeply-furrowed brows. Her hands were tied in front of her, a rope cinched around her wrists in what looked like a double column. The ends were loose along the floor, secured around a nearby, metal support beam. Her mouth was covered with silver duct tape, which explained how muffled her cries sounded, and it took everything in Inuyasha's power not to look away from the picture. Instead, he pulled it closer to his face, he studied her surroundings, the rusted beams lined in a row, the weeds that had grown through the cracks in the ground, the graffiti littering the distant wall in the very corner of the photo. It looked like an abandoned warehouse, but it was hard to tell. The place was dark, making details even more difficult to make out, Kagome seemingly illuminated by the camera's flash.

He racked his brain for all the abandoned warehouses he knew of in the city, all the abandoned warehouses he may have had a run in at. If this was a clue, then he knew the place; there was hardly anything else that he could note in the picture that would give it away. He had to know where she was, so where the fuck was she? What warehouse could potentially play a significant role in tying he and Naraku together?

There was one east of town in an industrial area. There had been an accident there years ago and the place shut down. There was one near the lake off a winding road that was overgrown with shrubbery by now. He hadn't been there, personally, but he knew Sango and Hojo busted a sex operation at that location. There was a warehouse immediately south of him, but it was recently purchased by a construction company so it was inhabited and he couldn't imagine Naraku getting away with stocking a person along a support beam in plain sight. Inuyasha flipped on his cellphone flashlight, holding it to the picture to reach for _any_ additional detail he could scrounge up that the dim lighting provided in the mailroom couldn't help reveal, desperate to find anything, his sharp eyes landing on the hint of yellow graffiti in the upper left corner on the distant wall.

It hit him like a flying brick. He knew where she was.

**County Jail - One hour earlier -**

"He's been screaming to get you guys down here for hours. He refused to calm down until we called you."

"Has he said what this is about?"

"Just that it was important and you'd want to hear this. He's in here." The guard opened the door, a disheveled Byakuya sitting in a seat at the table, cuffed hands shaking on top of the metal surface. His violet eyes shot up at her, perturbation written into the deep lines beneath his eyes. His lawyer stood mere inches from him, his chin raising indignantly as they entered the room and the guard shut the door behind them.

"Alright, you've got us here. What was it you wanted?" Kagura asked, setting her briefcase down on the table as she took a seat across from them. Sango sat in the neighboring chair, her eyes studying the angsty criminal.

"I'm ready to talk." He admitted as his attorney joined them, his expression stone cold and straight. "Naraku, he - he's about to make his move. Today. He's gonna do something today, he's been going on about it for months. It's going to be on the nine year anniversary of his arrest, that's what he said. That's _today!"_

"What is he going to do?" Sango firmly asked, inching inward as the suspense in the room intensified.

"I-I don't know." He shook his head, his heightened nerves evident in the chatter of his jaw. "I just know he's going to do something reckless! I mean, this is Naraku we're talking about! We don't need to add to his kill count, maybe we can stop him in time!"

"Where is he, Byakuya!?" She asked, more fervor to her tone, enunciating each word that left her lips.

"Now _that's_ where I have to stop you. We've yet to strike a deal." Gatenmaru interjected, his hand held up to halt all conversation. "What do you got?" He directed the question to Kagura.

She held herself professionally, unfazed by the inquiry as she sat up tall and answered, "Seventeen years without parole."

"Let's be real, you and I both know that's not the best you can give. Try again." There was challenge glimmering in his slanted, black eyes.

"He's being charged with aggravated assault, aiding and harboring a fugitive, and accessory to murder. Seventeen years is what's on the table. Take it."

"Accessory to murder?" Gatenmaru guffawed. "He wasn't even aware the murder took place. That charge won't hold in court."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure it will considering it never would have happened had your client not helped his brother escape from the institution."

"No." Byakuya cut in, his eyes staring widely at the table beneath his forearms. "No! No! No! You know damn well that's not what I care about!" He shouted, Gatenmaru staring back at him with an expression that said he knew better for his client.

"Give us a moment, we'll work it all out."

"No!" He darted his sharp and direct gaze across to Sango, and she almost flinched from the desperation behind it. "I don't care about my sentence, I'll do my time! I don't care if I never see the light of day again, _just - don't - kill - him."_

"What?"

"Don't kill him! No matter what, do not kill him! Please! He can get better with medication, can't he? Give him another chance! That's all I want!"

Her mouth parted, the skin of her lips slowly peeling open, stunned from his powerful plea. It wasn't practical, though. She knew it, and the riddling stiffness of the prosecuting attorney seated next to her told her Kagura knew it as well. "I promise we will do _everything_ in our power to have Naraku safely apprehended."

"That's not what I asked for! I want complete assurance that your team wont exercise commonly-known police brutality against my mentally ill brother! Promise me _that!"_

"Byakuya, I can't." She stated carefully. "I hear you, I understand exactly what you're worried about. It's never in our mission to kill a perp, please recognize that. Our number one goal is and always will be the safety of everyone involved. Sometimes, though, things don't work out that way-"

"Well, make sure it does!"

"If Naraku is in a manic state and poses a threat, our team may be given orders to take him down any way that we can. That's just the reality of it. _I swear,_ I will do everything I can to avoid violence."

"That's not good enough!"

"We're wasting time, Byakuya!"

"You think I'll personally help send in a sniper to shoot my brother down!?"

"The sooner you tell me, the sooner we can get to Naraku! Like you said, maybe we can stop him in time! But that window may close if you don't tell us what you know!"

"You don't have to tell them!" Gatenmaru intervened.

"And _you_ can't aid in the obstruction of justice! Back off, Gatenmaru, or I'll personally make sure you're disbarred!" Kagura snapped, darting a warning glare at the defense attorney.

"Byakuya, give _us_ a chance to give _Naraku_ a chance! You've gotta work with me, this is the only way the odds can potentially be in our favor!"

He stared at her, lips pressed together in a restrained snarl. It wasn't good enough for him. Unless he had a written and signed agreement that his brother wouldn't be harmed in his arrest, he refused to comply. Sango seemed sincere, but he didn't trust her. She was a cop. She was a dirty, careless, tyrant of a cop that liked to wave her power in the air like a picket sign. She couldn't fool him, but he could definitely fool her.

He controlled his expression, softening the disbelief in his scowl to appear as convincing as possible. He even sagged his shoulders in defeat, observing as Sango leaned forward for the information he was about to give. "He's at the warehouse by the lake. Off of McArther Road."

—

Inuyasha shoved a small, loaded pistol into his boot, concealing it beneath his jeans as he hastily double checked that the Glock was still strapped to his hip. He grabbed his badge off the bedside table, clipping it to his side as he snagged the phone he'd dropped on his bed and dialed his partner.

Koga picked up on the second ring, opening his car door and stepping out as he pressed the cell to his ear.

"Bad timing." He answered.

"Meet me at the warehouse at the county line." Inuyasha gruffly said. He seemed breathless, like he'd had the wind knocked out of him. There was an edge of panic in his tone, aiding in the bite behind the order. Koga couldn't stifle the confusion that wrinkled his forehead. What was happening? Why was he coincidentally being pulled to one warehouse when he'd just shown up at another with an entire armed squad.

"What's going on?"

"He's got Kagome!"

"How!?"

"I don't have time to explain! I'm leaving now! I don't know how long it'll take me to get there since I don't have a _fucking_ car, but-"

"How do you know where she is!?" Koga kept out of the swarm of specialists and cops, keeping his hot tone as hushed as possible as he stepped behind a swat truck for an inkling of privacy. His instincts had been telling him something was incredibly off since Sango called them all in before the butt crack of dawn, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was exactly, dismissing it as the climactic ending to this overdrawn affair with Naraku. There was a heavy weight on his chest now, discomposing him even further.

"Because," Inuyasha growled. "I just got off the phone with Naraku not even five minutes ago! He left me a picture, and she's tied up in a warehouse and the only logical one is at the base of the woods!"

"No, Inuyasha, that doesn't make sense! Byakuya told us he's in the warehouse by the lake! We just pulled up, everyone's getting into position to swarm the mother fucker!"

"I don't have time to prove otherwise! Whether you come or not, I'm going to save Kagome!"

"Inuyasha, no! He wants _you!_ You'll get yourself killed!"

"He has her, Koga." Inuyasha ground out a restrained sigh, answering steadily. "As long as she's safe, I don't care what happens to me."

The call ended and the wolf demon didn't hesitate in his course of action. Shoving the phone into his pocket, he ran over to where Sango and Totosai stood, going over their plan of execution at the hood of one of their black cars.

"Inuyasha called. Naraku has Kagome. He thinks they're at the warehouse on the opposite side of town; at the county line."

"What!? How!?" Sango reacted, her shocked expression trickling fear.

"I don't have those details, but there's a huge chance our little rat lied to us. Inuyasha's on his way there now. We've gotta back him up."

"We cant leave until we make sure the premises is clear." Totosai firmly stated. "Inuyasha may be wrong."

"Or Inuyasha may be taking on Naraku alone." Koga said.

"Go." The chief nodded after a very small moment. "I want you communicating the entire time. The moment we get out of this warehouse, we'll head your way."

Koga spun around, running back to his car to speed back out to the main street. The moment his tires connected with the concrete at the base of the long, winding road, he flipped on his lights and blaring sirens, racing to cross town as quickly as possible. It was still the early morning; the streets weren't too inhabited. Still, there were plenty of crossroads he needed to slow for, and each time he pressed on his brakes he felt more and more trepidation trickle over him.

Inuyasha's lungs were burning, his chest heaving, sweat dripping from his forehead and over the bridge of his nose as he looked over the weathered warehouse on the opposite side of the chainlink fence. Windows lined the higher portion of the walls, some broken and blocked off with cardboard, some filthy and impossible to even catch a glare with. He studied the few clear ones, checking for visible signs of life that may have been watching him from the second story at the end of the dirt and weed-occupied yard.

He could smell the two of them, their scents clashing obnoxiously within his olfactory system. There were traces of sweat. Plenty of it. He tried ignoring the damp smell of water that had been sitting for too long; he figured that exact odor would taint his nostrils when he noted the small puddles near Kagome in the picture. Most importantly, he did not smell a smidge of blood, fresh or old. It should have been a relief, but it didn't mean a thing with this criminal. He didn't know how long she'd been alone with Naraku, but he heard her in the background while they spoke on the phone. She was alive forty-five minutes ago. At the same time, that was forty-five minutes where anything could have happened to her.

Just as he was about to push through the unlatched gate, one hand prepared on the pistol in the holster on his hip, he heard the tread of tires nearing, the gravel along the ground grinding beneath Koga's heavy halt. Thankfully, the sirens were already silenced, and as he ripped the keys from the ignition, he'd flipped off the lights as well.

Inuyasha jogged to meet him half way, the both of them kneeling behind some shrubbery to stay as out of view as possible. Naraku knew he was coming, but he didn't need to know he brought backup. If they could keep the element of surprise, the odds would be more favorable for them.

"So, what the fuck happened?" Koga asked, keeping his voice low as he pulled the gun from his side and flipped the safety off. He was fully equipped in his bulletproof vest and windbreaker, the collar of his white shirt poking from beneath.

"I don't know - I don't _fucking_ know. It was the new moon last night, I fell asleep, and apparently Naraku somehow tricked her into thinking Kikyo was in trouble, so she snuck out to help by herself instead of waking me up."

"Kikyo-"

"Yeah, I didn't tell her." He venomously interjected, wanting to cut that part of the discussion off at the knees. "It doesn't matter right now. I don't know how long they've been alone, and I don't know what he's done to her. I don't smell blood, and when he called me, I heard her in the background. That was almost an hour ago, though."

"She's alive, don't worry." Koga tried reassuring, giving him as unwavering of a look as possible. Inuyasha only spared him a small glance, ember eyes vehement with anxiety and rage, tearing his sights away to study the warehouse from the edge of the bushes.

Kagome gave another tug to the skillfully-tied knot around the support beam, her fingers struggling from the trembling she couldn't suppress. Her nails caught onto the rough rope, catching and losing grip, catching and losing grip, snagging and almost breaking. Before trying again, she whipped her head around, observing her immediate surroundings to make sure her captor wasn't coming back yet, air pressing out of her nose like she'd just finished running a lap. Still clear. She fiddled with the knot again, trying to hurry, a flutter in her chest making her feel like Onigumo could appear any second.

No.

His name was Naraku. She needed to remember that. He was a manipulative liar, and Onigumo didn't exist.

Her nails flicked off of the tight rope painfully and she clenched her tongue to the roof of her mouth to stifle the gasp she almost gave. It wasn't budging. The rope cinched around her wrists was too secure to slip through, and the more she'd tried, the more she felt the material digging into her skin. Her hands were a furious red from the many attempts of using her weight to pull away from the beam she was restrained to, the slack in the rope attached to the middle column of the wrist tie only allotting her about three feet of distance. It was no use. Despite all of her struggling and fighting to make tying her down as difficult as possible, he still prevailed by knocking her head against the pole she was held captive to, debilitating her long enough to get the rope attached. She was partially successful, though, and any feat is better than nothing right now. He'd initially tried restraining her hands behind her back, but all the flailing she did didn't allow him to.

Approaching footsteps alerted her to stop, carefully watching the direction they were coming from. The abandoned building wasn't completely empty, stacks of freight slabs and wooden crates filling multiple areas of the large room, making it impossible to see around the corner he'd disappeared behind ten minutes ago. There were small puddles of old, murky water here and there from openings in the ceiling, bits of trash littering the floor, and broken, molding wood that had crumbled from the second story. As the echoing grew louder, a sloshing sound coming from a tiny pool he must have stomped through, she tried to hold herself as casually as possible, stepping in towards the beam to allow slack in the rope. She didn't want it to appear as if she had been trying to escape; she didn't know if it would be the thing to set him off.

Naraku rounded the bend, swiping his dirty hands through his short, choppy, black hair. He was wearing a long sleeve, black thermal that raised and exposed an inch of his midriff as he lifted his arm, his ripped jeans a faded blue that bunched and disappeared beneath tightly-strapped boots. The man gave her a sealed-lipped grin the pursed just a little, cocking his head as he sauntered towards the small, upside-down crate he'd taken residence on before.

"Sorry, had to piss." He shrugged, squatting down.

Kagome could do nothing more than stare at him. Watch as he watched her. Observe as he took the long kitchen knife from the side of his boot and dragged his rough-looking thumb over the dull edge of the blade.

"Y'know," He spoke, his voice deep and smooth. "Inuyasha should be here soon, I presume. He'll be so relieved to see you're not hurt."

He stood, slowly making his way over to her, the knife glistening with the early rays of sunlight that peeked through the opened, side door. She backed up as he neared, her shoulder blade brushing the metal beam, and his smile grew wider.

"Oh, don't be afraid, don't be afraid. You know you're just a casualty in all of this, Kagome." Naraku slid his calloused hands over the side of her face, the sweat plastered on her skin from the unwavering stress feeling sticky and moist as he caressed the apple of her cheek with his thumb. She couldn't help the shaky whines that escaped her throat as he touched her, as he gripped both cheeks between his fingers and squeezed to get her to stop turning away from him. The sturdy tape on her mouth crinkled with his aggression, pulling at her sensitive flesh.

"I never _wanted_ to hurt you." He whispered. "Now I do. It would be a waste not to at this point. And if I do it just as your half breed boyfriend shows up, _oh,_ he'd cry like a little baby, wouldn't he?"

Kagome whimpered, her brows crinkling as she tried to shake her head no, to plead with him, but he kept her restrained. Naraku shushed her, a smirk pursing his lips further, the gleam in his red eyes showing thorough enjoyment from her spiking panic.

"What do you think he'd do at the sight of your blood, huh? Think he'd freeze? Go into a blind fury? Think he'd scream your name like bloody murder? Oh, the thought of it all just gets me so _hot."_ He raised the knife to her face, grazing the smooth side of the dangerous blade over her cheekbone and temple, taunting her skin. "I want Inuyasha to die in pain - and not just physical. I don't want him just writhing in agony from a stab wound or two. I want him bleeding from the inside out. I want him begging for mercy because his mind and heart are about to explode from _helplessly_ watching his whore get murdered." Naraku pulled back an inch or two, taking the kitchen knife and leisurely licking up the sharp edge, wincing minutely as blood seeped from the slice in his tongue. His Adams apple bobbed as he swallowed the copper liquid, his lips quickly lining scarlet red.

Dropping the knife to the ground, Naraku pinned Kagome's jaw between both hands, holding her hostage as he kissed the duct tape over her mouth, swiveling his head passionately as she gasped. She could feel moisture dripping from his mouth and down her chin. There was a churning in her stomach, a lump forming in her throat, her body was shaking, aching to get this freak away from her. She was pinned to the beam with his body, her hands stuck between them, and without much thought to how much power she may even be able to back herself up with, Kagome bucked her hips forward, shoving her fisted, tied hands into his groin.

Naraku lurched away, grasping his pelvis with a slight bend, but not completely doubled over and groaning as she had hoped. She was only able to nudge, but thankfully the area was notoriously sensitive enough to effect him even this much. Utilizing the space between them, Kagome brought her knee up and shoved her foot into his torso, pushing him away with her kick. Naraku stumbled, a groan on his breath, and the moment her foot landed on the ground she reached for the knife, stomping the sole of her canvas shoe against the blade and dragging it along the dirty cement closer to the support beam so she could bend and grab it.

The man began laughing, the sound low like a chuckle and growing to a malevolent octave. "Uh, oh! Watch out! Kagome's got the knife! Oh no!" He gibed.

Kagome gripped the handle as tightly as she could, the rope on her wrists making the hold slightly awkward. She tried not to let that show though, breathing heavily as she held the blade out before her.

"That's fine. Keep it. I've got others." Naraku shrugged carelessly, sauntering toward her. "It's always fun watching women _try_ to put up a fight, and I can tell you're as plucky as they come." Kagome tensed incredibly as he continued his path, backing up. Even though she was the one with the weapon, she knew how easy it would be for a demon to overpower her. He smiled, the cracks of his straight teeth stained with blood, the crimson liquid dribbling down his chin and to his neck. "You're gonna die here, Kagome. You can fight all you want, but you're still gonna die."

She whimpered, powerful shudders racking her body and she gripped the knife even tighter to make sure she wouldn't drop it, tears stinging her eyes as they quickly poured down her cheeks.

"In fact, the fun should be starting soon. Your puppy should be able to smell my blood from far off. I wonder if he smells it now. I wonder if he can differentiate whose blood is whose. Can he tell it's mine, or will he just smell the copper in the air and assume it's yours? Either way, I sense something's coming." Naraku sang, his face lighting up as he stopped just before the tip of Kagome's blade. She had to fight off the reaction to look around for whatever he spoke of, forcing herself to keep her burning eyes glued to the criminal.

"Come on, what are you waiting for? You could literally end it all right now." He dragged his feet forward two inches, pressing his sternum to the sharp point. Kagome winced for him, stepping back against the beam only to have him follow, intimidatingly standing with his arms spread out, his red-painted grin beaming sadistically. "You could leave here with Inuyasha the second he arrives. Inuyasha wouldn't have to endure any pain. All you've gotta do is stick me. Come on. Just push it in. You could end this, you have the power. Do it, Kagome. Come on! Come on! Do it! Stab me! You know you want to! If you don't, I'll kill Inuyasha and it'll be _your_ fault because you had the fucking opportunity to stop me! How could you do that to him!? You won't even try to save his life! Stab me! Stab me, Kagome! Do it! Stab me!"

Kagome sobbed, choking slightly on the muffled sound, terrified of the manic man before her, his red eyes wide and bloodshot. Spittle was dribbling from the plush of his bottom lip. He was scowling like he was suddenly furious, but there was also a hint of humor flushing through, curving his mouth upward.

"See that's the thing." Naraku murmured menacingly. "You think the knife, itself, is going to protect you. No, baby girl. You need to have the volition to back it up."

He yanked at the rope that hung from her wrists, taking Kagome by surprise by pulling her hands down and to the side, the kitchen knife falling from her fingers and clattering against the floor.

Koga crouched low, each step mindful and as silent as possible as he rounded the corner away from Inuyasha who'd planned to enter through the front, the gravel grinding beneath his feet. He kept his gun aimed at the floor, rushing to the rusted door he could see toward the end of the long wall. As he approached, small, pained gasps met his ears, accompanied by a man's vehement shouting. The orders were twisted, growing louder and more devilish before completely dying off, a clank echoing throughout the warehouse. Koga kneeled just before the opening, leaning to side-glance through the opened door.

Kagome was held at an angle by the ties around her wrists, her eyes pinched nearly shut from the jarring look of fear crinkling her face, thick tape over her mouth, a dark red covering the silver that had dripped to the curve of her chin. A man slowly slid his fingers through her hair, curling and snagging the dark locks to pull her head back, curving his body to whisper in her ear. Koga couldn't hear it, but the drowned sob from Kagome told him everything he needed to know.

"Hey! Get your fucking hands off her! Let her go!" Inuyasha's voice bellowed through the warehouse, his gun pointed ahead of him. Naraku smiled, slowly turning his head to face him, his hand still wound in Kagome's raven hair. The whimper that left her throat at the sight of him was heartbreaking, her current state wringing his insides agonizingly. He desperately wanted to shush her, to tell her everything would be alright, but he could only spare her brief glances for the moment. Until Naraku was taken care of, he needed his undivided attention on him. He couldn't let his guard down.

"Well, it's about time you got here. I almost thought it would just be Kagome and I having all the fun."

"She's not a part of this." Inuyasha seethed.

"You know that's not true."

"Let her go. I'll stay. You've got me all to yourself."

"Her screams are much more rewarding than yours."

"No, Naraku! This isn't how it's gonna go down!"

"Oh, and you're gonna tell me how it is? I don't think you're the one with the power here. You may have a gun, but I've got the girl."

"Come on, Naraku, just give her to me. You set her free, I won't even fight back." Kagome made a gurgling sound of protest through the duct tape. "You can kill me! You can get your revenge! Just give her to me first!"

"You want her?" Naraku chuckled. Unfurling his fingers, he released the rope and her hair taking a large step to the side. "Go on, Kagome. Be free. Run to Inuyasha! Go on, girl!" He bated, taunting the both of them with her captivity.

Still, she struggled to wiggle her way free of her restraints, desperate to get away, to cross the large room and clutch onto Inuyasha for dear life. Naraku's laughter bounced off the walls boisterously, infuriating her, and if looks could kill she knew the scowl on her face would have burned him alive. A thunderous growl ripped the air, and she could practically hear Inuyasha's grip tighten dangerously over the trigger.

Naraku shrugged in an _oh well_ manner, the blood on his jaw and neck a darker shade than before as it noticeably dried. Inuyasha could only hope Kagome had done that to him. As he held an unfaltering grip on his pistol, he realized he had a clear shot. He could take Naraku out where he stood, but his conscience riddled him. He didn't have the proper provocation to justify killing him, though he really, _really_ fucking wanted to. He could wound him, but even that was a stretch. Lashing out, putting a bullet through him could cost his badge and a _lot_ more trauma on Kagome's behalf. She didn't need to see that. Looking at her now, the stiffness of her muscles, the small quakes that inadvertently racked her body, the fading bruise on her cheek that was accentuated by her paled skin, the sweat that caused her bangs to wave and stick to her forehead, she'd been through enough. His one priority was to get her out as unscathed as possible. He'd handle whatever Naraku had to throw at him after he saw to her safety.

"We don't need to play these games, Naraku. You're upset about what happened all those years ago, so-"

_"Nine_ years ago, to be exact! Happy anniversary, sweetie." Naraku winked.

Inuyasha paused, allowing his words to sink. He couldn't imagine what was so significant about the ninth year, but he could understand that Naraku had planned for everything to fall on this day. He gave a feeble nod of acknowledgment. "You're upset about what happened _nine_ years ago."

"Upset would be a bit of an overstatement, don't you think?"

"An overstatement?" Inuyasha asked, muddled. "Well, how about you tell me what's going through your head. Let's start with that, okay?" He kept his tone as level as possible, his ember eyes glued to the seemingly amused man before him.

"Was that word too big for you, half breed? I'm not mad." Naraku claimed. "I don't care that I was found out, I don't care that I was arrested, I don't care that I was sentenced to life in an insane asylum, I - simply - don't - care. You want to know why I've been targeting you and your girlfriend? It's because of the arrogance you portrayed during my interrogation. You had this air about you that spoke volumes of how you felt you could never be beat. You were so young. Fresh to the field, right? It was pretty evident that you were the rookie in your department, and I thought you were merely overcompensating so it wouldn't bleed into our one-on-one time. Then, a few hours in I realized that was just a flaw in your personality. You're cocky, Inuyasha. You carried yourself like you could never be destroyed. And I wanted to be the one to destroy you.

The one thing I could never get out of my mind, though, was the moment you lot finally got the warrant to search mom and pop's cabin. I saw it. In your eyes. There was a brief glimpse of fear, and _god_ , I've been dying to see it again ever since! What were you so afraid of? Was it because deep down you knew Hakudoshi was dead?"

"Don't say his name!"

"Was it because you _knew_ a little boy had been killed and you failed to stop it?"

"Naraku!"

"You didn't want to admit it to yourself, but the moment they gave you the green light to go that's when you knew you had to face the music! You were about to see little Hakudoshi rotting in the ground!"

"Shut the fuck up, you disgusting piece of shit!"

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Inuyasha. You failed before you even tried." Naraku shrugged again, apathetic to the trembling of the half demon's rage. "I've never left a victim's side before they were dead, and you caught me on the edge of the woods on my way out. Much like this place."

Inuyasha felt a thick mass build in the center of his throat, seeing red, fighting his finger's muscles to squeeze the fucking trigger and end everything now. As the escaped criminal swiveled his head to face Kagome, Inuyasha damn near lost control, clenching the breath in his lungs as a dangerous rumble reverberated from his chest.

"I bet you're wondering how I could be so cruel, aren't you?"

"Don't fucking talk to her!"

Kagome flinched, worried, brown eyes flickering back and forth between Naraku and him.

"See, to me, it isn't about cruelty. I thought if I watched the life drain from a person's eyes, I'd eventually feel something. Over and over, I tried. And over and over, I failed to feel an ounce of pity. I will admit, though, there was a good amount of exhilaration." Naraku knelt down reaching for the knife by his feet and Inuyasha went hot, flexing his hands over the grip as his gun followed his every move.

"NARAKU, STOP!"

"Make me." He smiled, curling his fingers around the black handle.

A shot was fired, ringing loudly in the abandoned building and paining Inuyasha's ears, the sharp sound of a ricochet bullet almost drowning out the startled shriek from Kagome.

"Drop it!" Koga ordered, running in from the right-side door. "Right now, drop it!"

Naraku had covered himself in reaction to the gunshot, the knife in a white-knuckle grip over his head. He slowly unsheathed himself, his jaw tensed and eyes closed in agitation as he rose to a standing.

"I was wondering when you'd finally crawl out from your hiding spot." He drawled.

"Drop the fucking knife." Koga reiterated, blue eyes slanted in determination. Slowly, steadily, he was side-stepping his way to Kagome.

"Or what? The K9 unit will play good cop - bad cop with me?"

"Actually, we're more notorious for bad cop - bad cop." Koga cocked a brow, his gun firmly aimed at the bold man. "We don't really have the patience for mentally breaking scum when we're perfectly capable of physically doing it."

Kagome looked away from the scene before her, brown eyes colliding with vivacious ember. They were so close, he was a small sprint away, yet she felt like they could have been separated by several locked rooms in between. She watched his eyes flick back toward Naraku, making sure his attention was still focused on the wolf demon, then switch back to her. He parted his lips, silently mouthing two words, but she didn't comprehend, furrowing her brows and shaking her head in question. Once more, he made sure he was clear, then tried again, mouthing _"Back up,"_ a little slower than before.

This time, it was her that made sure Naraku wasn't paying attention. She watched as his terrifying eyes challenged Inuyasha's partner, watched as he loosely wobbled the kitchen blade in between his fingers. Carefully, she took one step away. When his red irises didn't land on her, she took another. One more had her at her rope's length.

"Naraku, if you think I won't pull this trigger right now you're fucking wrong." Koga's deep voice boomed. Naraku swiveled his head back and forth in mockery, trying to irate the wolf, but he held firm. It wasn't something he wasn't used to from perps. "Drop the knife. Don't give me a reason. Your brother doesn't want anything to happen to you. Byakuya didn't want a deal on his sentence for talking, the only deal he wanted was assurance that you would live. He wants another chance for you to get healthy, but that also means you've gotta work with us."

"No, it doesn't." Naraku continued to play with the blade. "None of that sounds like it's any of my business."

"He wants a better life for you."

"Then he should have paid for a hotel instead of hiding me in a warehouse."

"He's fighting for you, Naraku."

"I didn't ask him to. I'm not interested in his pitiful plea bargain, and I'm definitely not interested in anyone's mercy. Fuck you guys." He laughed.

"That's fine, that's your prerogative, but here's the thing: you've got two loaded guns aimed at your head. If you take a step in any direction with that weapon in your hand, we're provoked to shoot. If you throw the knife, we're provoked to shoot. If you even _look_ like you're about to do something stupid, we are _provoked_ to shoot."

There was consideration on Naraku's face as he pondered, his red eyes bouncing over to Kagome, his grin wicked and stained. Another growl from Inuyasha ripped though the air, a clear warning to look away from her, but the demonic sound went ignored. There was a flinch in her expression as he stared, the hollow of her throat emphasized as she sucked in and held her breath.

"Looks like plans have changed, sweetie. That's okay, though. I've already left my mark on you, haven't I? You're never gonna forget me."

"Stop talking to her!" Inuyasha shouted viciously.

The kitchen knife fell from Naraku's fingers, bouncing against the floor, and he took a single step toward her, both Koga and Inuyasha stiffening incredibly. Koga matched his step, only a few feet separating him from sheathing Kagome behind his back. Her glare didn't shift away from the criminal, though. She held her venom toward the man unwaveringly, her chin raising indignantly at his statement.

"Just remember, Kagome," He paused, licking his lips. "You could have saved him. Whatever happens to Inuyasha is entirely your fault."

Her nose crinkled angrily, but she couldn't hang onto it. There was no stopping her eyes from traveling over to the half demon in the background, his scowl deadly until he met her concerned gaze. Instantly, a remorseful look washed over him. Inuyasha shook his head, his silver ponytail hardly swaying with the subtle movement, and she could tell he just wanted to soothe her; his way of protecting her the best he could at a moment like this. This _was_ her fault, though. She easily fell for Naraku's ploy. She broke Inuyasha's trust and basically trotted all over the dedicated security he'd provided. She snuck out in the middle of the night and got them all stuck in this dangerous scenario. If anything happened to Inuyasha, she was to blame.

Maybe nothing would happen, though. Maybe he was all talk. He was in a mental asylum, so he wasn't all there in the head, right? From her angle, it seemed like he was cornered. Koga was doing a really good job at talking him down, he'd even dropped his knife. Maybe Naraku didn't comprehend things as clearly. She couldn't remember if Inuyasha told her what degree of instability he harbored, so it was hard to decipher what could have potentially been going through Naraku's head as he spoke.

Her abductor launched and she hardly had time to react, his hand snagging and yanking the tail of her rope as he ran passed laughing. Kagome fell to the floor with a choking gasp, her rib cage slamming against the beam with his strength and direction, and before she could look up or gather herself, she felt a body hovering over hers. Koga had crouched low, his hands snaking around her waist to help her sit up, and as she opened her eyes, she saw a blurred Inuyasha sprint passed them. Koga shouted a boisterous demand for Inuyasha to stop, but by the heavy curse lingering on his breath, she knew it went neglected. Everything was happening so fast, and as she realized Inuyasha was chasing after Naraku alone, an obnoxious alarm started blaring in her head. She stammered to her feet, her dirty, white shirt slightly clinging to her side from the damp floor she'd collided with.

Koga shoved his gun into the holster on his hip and snatched the discarded kitchen knife from the floor as Kagome pulled back on her ties, and he worked to cut through the tail. As soon as the rope was cut free from the beam, she stumbled backward, catching herself and immediately charging after Inuyasha. Koga dropped the knife and hooked his arm around her lower abdomen, lifting her off the ground in her haste and carrying her over to the cover of the wall of nearby, stacked crates. She was grunting and shouting in protest, squirming in his hold, her words incomprehensible and muffled.

"What the - what the _hell_ are you doing!?"

Kagome pushed him back, her fingernails flicking at the edge of the duct tape on her mouth, but they were too shaky to get an actual grip. Koga took over and grabbed the opposite end, yanking the thick, stained tape right off her face, a furiously red rectangle left in its wake.

"We have to go after Inuyasha! Naraku's gonna try to kill him!"

"Hang on, stop moving!" Koga barked, fiddling with the knot of her wrist cinch. "I have to get you outside and I need to call for backup first!"

"Call for backup _NOW!"_ Kagome demanded, deep brown eyes piercing him threateningly. Koga dropped her still-restrained wrists, using his body to shield hers as he heard Naraku shouting incoherently from the second story on the other side of the large building. Kagome started struggling with him again, trying to free herself from his cover so she could run after them, practically growling with her vehemency.

"Look, I'll call for backup now but then I still have to get you outside! Stop fighting me! The sooner I get you safe, the sooner I can go help Inuyasha!"

That last statement struck her still, and the wolf demon didn't waste time in ripping his walkie from clip on the back of his pants, squeezing the button on the side as he called his team to their location for immediate assistance. As soon as the call was made, he gripped the center of the cinch, pulling her to run out of the building with him. His car was all the way out on the street, and he didn't feel comfortable running all the way off the premises to lock her in the back seat and racing all the way back. Anything could happen in that time, and the sooner he got back inside to help, the better. He made a sharp left to the very back of the building toward a large, broken shed sitting just before the fence separating the woodlands from the grounds. The shrubbery was overgrown and intruding on the territory, tucking the backside of the shed in growth and vines. Koga spun her in front of him from behind, forcefully bending her knees to sit in the dense protection. He kneeled in front of her doing a once over, something he hadn't been able to do just yet.

"You okay?" He asked huskily, brows arched in concern. There was a bruising scarlet peeking from beneath her bangs just over her left eyebrow, and he gently pushed her hair out of the way to check the thick bump on her forehead to make sure it was nothing worse. Kagome nodded with a breathy "yeah," and Koga asked if she was sure for reassurance purposes, making sure she wasn't bleeding anywhere. When she nodded again, he sighed out, gently grabbing her by the jaw to make sure he had her undivided attention. "Then for the love of god, Kagome, _stay here!"_

Koga ran off, his gun now gripped between both hands as his speedy steps along the gravel disappeared.

Kagome tucked herself further behind the shed, her heart pounding rapidly. Her thoughts kept shifting to the horrible and potential _what if's_ of the situation as she desperately tried to listen to what was taking place inside the building, her ears filled with nothing but the rustle of the trees' branches just feet away. Opting to busy herself, Kagome wriggled her wrists in the confinements of their wraps, the flesh beneath raw and irritated from her consistent tugging, pulling, and twisting to break free for hours now. The knot looked tighter than ever, and Kagome huffed in aggravation, figuring she'd been the one to make matters worse with her struggling. Her wrists were stuck being bound for now, until someone could cut her free.

Sitting there in hiding was more torturous than being tied to the beam. As her breathing came together, she peeked from the corner, looking back for some semblance of awareness. There was a gelatinous sensation in the depths of her chest, dense, spreading, the clouds overhead providing an ominous darkness on the already-dingy warehouse while her brown eyes sought for any signs of the three men. The wait continued, increasing the boiling uneasiness Kagome stewed in, and she searched harder, poking her upper body out further. In her peripherals, the subtle gleam of silver caught her attention, a four-foot rod sticking out from the weeds along the edge of the shed. There was a moment of hesitation, her sights never leaving the metal in case it would suddenly vanish in thin air.

Crawling out on her knees from the sheathing Koga had placed her in, she picked up the rod, working on the adjustment of her awkward grip to hold it as solidly as possible, opting to curl her right fingers tight around the dirty metal and support that grasp with her left hand. With a deep, determined breath, Kagome rose to her feet and ran across the gravel space, heading for the door she and Koga had exited from.

Inuyasha had followed after the crazed man as swiftly as he could, but managed to lose sight of him in the makeshift maze of palettes, crates, and other large, abandoned, warehouse objects. Even on the second story it was hard to get around. This building wasn't left like this; he'd been here before during an undercover stunt. This was just evidence of the incredible amount of free time Naraku had had since August.

He held his gun at the ready, leading his way with it as he listened closely and curved around corners. The entire place was swarming in Naraku's putrid scent, making it impossible to pinpoint his location that way. The man was still, he had to be. Inuyasha couldn't pick up any clatter from shoes hitting the wood beneath their feet, whether walking or running. Nothing. No raspy breathing, no laughter, no noises whatsoever other than the distracting wind from outside and his own, careful footsteps along the path. As he nudged through a particularly narrow route, there was a close creak, but before he could prepare, he was smacked in the jaw with a damp slab of wood.

"So, that girlfriend of yours," Naraku began, standing taller than him as Inuyasha stumbled backward, clutching his chin. "Not the brightest crayon in the box."

"Don't fucking talk about her!" He growled.

"She leaves the safety of your nest for a girl you chose over her at one point - that was the closest I'd ever come to feeling sympathy for a person, because ouch. - gets herself kidnapped, and when she had the opportunity to do something to help the situation, she didn't. She froze. Even better, she cried."

Inuyasha said nothing, taking aim as Naraku sped at him. He swung the board and Inuyasha shot a split second later, the bullet missing as the gun was flung from his hand, slid along the wood, and slipped beneath the railing, falling to the first floor.

"Whoops." The criminal grinned.

The half demon swung his fist, his hook effectively dodged by Naraku's nimble feet. Naraku dropped the board and clutched the tee shirt at his chest, swinging him around, surprising Inuyasha with his strength as he was slammed against the wall.

"What's going on, big MMA fighter? I thought you could spar! Or are you just stalling so I'll give you every little detail of what I did to your precious Kagome?"

Inuyasha flung his forehead forward, colliding with Naraku's and forcing him to stumble backward. The man recovered quickly, shaking his head and running his hands through his hair to smooth out the short, messy locks.

"All you had to do was ask."

"Shut the fuck up!"

"We kissed. It was pretty magical." He shrugged, reaching behind and yanking a pocketknife clip from his belt. He flicked it open, twirling the small, sharp weapon skillfully in his fingers. "Oh, god, and that tape I put on her mouth was an absolute necessity. She wouldn't stop screaming for you! _Inuyasha! Inuyasha! Save me, Inuyasha! Inuyashaaaaa!"_

He knew that Naraku was just trying to get under his skin, but god fucking damn it, it was working. He clenched his fists tight, his claws pinching into his flesh, and ground his teeth together, trying not to give the nut case the reaction he was looking for.

"I'll admit, I'm a little upset I didn't get to go through with my original plan. I had this whole thing ready to go where you were going to watch me kill her. You wouldn't be so smug and arrogant then, would you, Inuyasha? That's okay, though. I did enough damage to her to last a lifetime, and her poor, little puppy won't be able to protect her from the scars and nightmares. _That,_ I can assure you."

"What, you think you're gonna kill me?"

"It's everything I've been dreaming of." Naraku smiled, still twirling his pocketknife.

"Keep dreaming. It ain't happening."

The manic man lunged at Inuyasha, swinging his knife back and forth in an attempt to slash him, and the half demon sped backward. His back collided with a wall of stacked palettes and he knew he had one chance to get this right. Naraku went to stab him, and Inuyasha tried to clasp his wrist to nudge it in the opposite direction, his palm landing higher than intended and clutching onto part of Naraku's fingers along with the blade. At this point, with the amount of adrenalin coursing through his system, he hardly felt the skin slice at the heel of his hand, only understanding he was bleeding through the sharp tinge of copper wafting through his nostrils.

Sliding down and incorporating his freehand, Inuyasha struck the inside of Naraku's wrist outward with furious pressure while simultaneously smacking the side of the blade inward, the pocketknife flying from the criminal's grip and clinking to the floor. Immediately following, Inuyasha threw the back of his fist into Naraku's face, clipping his nose. Naraku's head flew back with the force, his footing following, and Inuyasha seized the opportunity, angled himself, and struck him hard with a sidekick to the ribcage.

He staggered backward, clutching his abdomen with heavy breaths, dangerous red eyes blaring at the half demon. With a snarl, he lunged again, swinging his fists, and each blow was deflected by Inuyasha's swift reflexes, palms effectively shoving Naraku's forearms aside while stepping for proper angling. As Naraku's relentless attacks were thwarted, Inuyasha punched him in the jaw, clutching onto Naraku's upper arm to keep him in place and hooking his forearm inward, smacking his elbow to his opponents cheekbone. He released Naraku's arm but kept a grip on his sleeve to allow motion, swinging his fist into Naraku's sternum to get him to double over, then slamming his elbow into his upper back. He fell to the floor, his laughter coming out wheezy and slow.

Inuyasha crouched, snagging the back of Naraku's shirt as the man began to pick himself up, lifting him to his feet and slamming him against the railing. He folded backward slightly, the top of the rail only reaching his mid back.

"What are you gonna do, Inuyasha?" Naraku asked breathlessly, blood trickling from his right nostril. The stained and crusted smile on his face was disgusting, taunting, and challenging. "You gonna kill me?"

"No." The half demon replied, a growl on his tongue. "As great as that sounds, I'd much rather watch you rot away in the asylum."

"Wrong answer." He laughed.

"Don't act cocky, Naraku. There's no fucking way you're getting away from me."

"Wrong again." Naraku rocked against the railing, bucking his hips harder each time until the rotting wood the rails were screwed into cracked and began to crumble. The guard fell back, taking huge chunks of the flooring with it, causing Inuyasha to instinctually stumble backwards, a hissed "shit" heavy on his breath. As he looked up from the wood beneath his feet, Naraku was gone. Rushing forward to the edge, Inuyasha expected to see his opponent's body laying on the ground level, broken and seeping away life, but all he saw was the crumbled wood and broken, rusted rail.

"Mother _fucker!"_ Inuyasha shouted, flailing his arms at his side in exasperation. He gave an exaggerated huff, quickly wiping the leaking blood from his palm on his jeans and leaning down to retrieve the pistol in his boot before jumping from the second story to land on the top of a low wall of nearly-unstable crates, bringing him to wobble slightly to keep upright. From there, supporting his leap by bracing his hand on the edge of the box, Inuyasha's feet met with the cement flooring, pistol immediately at the ready.

There was an incoming shuffling of feet from a large pathway behind him, and he swung around, gun aimed at a fully prepared wolf demon.

"Fuck!" He growled. "Where's Kagome?" Inuyasha quickly asked, lowering his weapon.

"She's safe, don't worry about it. Where's Naraku?" Koga aimed his pistol to the floor, blue eyes studying the line of blood that had escaped the corner of Inuyasha's mouth.

"No fucking clue. He slipped away from me."

"I heard a gunshot-"

"I missed."

He gave a curt nod, looking around at the spacious areas between man-made walls of objects. Inuyasha trudged forward toward the far opening and Koga took up the rear, his head swerving left and right for full awareness. As they came through to an empty corner, they paused in the center, Inuyasha's aggravation notably spiking.

"Come on, Naraku!" He boomed, his voice bouncing off the walls. "No more games! You started this, now lets fucking end it! Right now!"

Silence.

A moment later, Inuyasha and Koga were moving again, Koga once more trailing behind. As they approached a very wide area that he would have guessed was dead center of the warehouse, a dangerous feeling puddled in the pit of Koga's stomach. They were being watched. He couldn't pinpoint which direction the sensation was flooding from, lingering in place as he glanced around the dingy area, the space sparsely illuminated thanks to the boards covering the windows above them and the dark clouds hanging overhead. He heard the scuffle of Inuyasha's boots proceeded further. The curse in his growl. And then he heard fast-paced running coming right at him.

Inuyasha spun around as a loud commotion ensued behind him, Koga grunting as Naraku worked to overpower him. The half demon's gun was poorly aimed, shifting back and forth for a good shot as Naraku pinned Koga face down, his knee in the wolf demon's back, crouching low and squeezing the grip of the gun right from Koga's struggling hand.

"As you wish, puppy dog." He chuckled, pressing the muzzle to Koga's temple. The snarl on his partner's face was ferocious, and as he bared his fangs, Naraku smacked him in the same spot with the butt of the Glock. "Let's end this. Go ahead and shoot. You've got one chance."

Inuyasha scowled, his hands giving a feeble tremble from the insurmountable pressure that thickened the air. His gun twitched left and right, up and down, following Naraku's movements but never spot on as he kept attached to Koga's body. Inuyasha wasn't close enough to have a clear position on him. They were at an angle at the other side of their large space, and when Inuyasha tried to take a subtle step forward to up his advantage, Naraku cocked a sneer and pulled on the tight knot of Koga's ponytail to lead him to stand on his knees, shielding himself behind the broad torso of the wolf demon, the gun only leaving the side of his head to reposition just behind the lobe of his ear.

"Let him go, Naraku!"

"The only way I'll do that is if I'm dead." He said. "Or he's dead. Whichever comes first."

"Take the shot, Inuyasha!" Koga ordered, blue eyes piercing him as sharp as any bullet.

"Yeah! Take the shot, Inuyasha!"

"You can shoot him, you can shoot me, but there's no way you're getting out of here alive!"

"Don't fucking talk! Just shoot him!"

"Why, because the backup your buddy called for five minutes ago is here?" He remarked sarcastically.

"Any minute now."

"Inuyasha!"

"I could kill Koga now, kill you a split second later, and then I can go grab Kagome who's conveniently been hidden behind the shed out back and slash her throat all before the SWAT team shows up. And you probably thought you were being so slick, huh Moon Moon?" Naraku clutched the front of Koga's jaw with the hand that once held his long, brown hair, bringing his partner to shake his head in resistance against his hold. "Man the power of _sight_ is incredible! You know there are a few windows here, right?"

Inuyasha's brow twitched as he seethed anger, a demonic need to rip this fucker to shreds just for threatening Koga and Kagome shaking him to the core. His fingers curled tighter around the grip of his gun, focusing with all that he had to get a clear shot.

"Don't think about it, just shoot him! Shoot him!"

"Shoot me."

"Inuyasha!"

"Shoot me."

"I swear to fucking god, Naraku, let him go!"

"What's the matter, Inuyasha? Can't pull the trigger? Wont save your partner? You're not even gonna try?"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

"How many times has he saved you? Come on, Inuyasha! Be the hero you've worked so hard to become! Where's your pride!?"

"Inuyasha, it's okay." Koga's expression had calmed considerably, his voice lowering to just above a whisper. He was trying to level with him, trying to tell him it was alright to miss. Though his face lacked any signs of nervousness, his wavering tone failed him.

"Shut up, you stupid wolf."

"Inuyasha." He tried again, steadier.

His finger flexed against the trigger, still not confident in his aim. His heart pounded painfully hard, a dense weight sinking in his abdomen. If he misses, Koga dies. If he misses, Naraku pulls his own trigger. A thick mass in his throat made it difficult to swallow, and Inuyasha could feel himself losing grip on the situation. What the fuck was he supposed to do? He could try to stall until their backup actually showed. If he could succeed in that, if he could manipulate Naraku just as well as he's manipulated them all, there was a chance he wouldn't have to risk Koga's life at all. As he parted his lips to speak, to ask a question, Naraku beat him to the punch, his deep voice causing Inuyasha's to hitch in the back of his mouth.

"Out of time. If you wont take your shot, I will." Naraku re-aimed his pistol and pulled the trigger, the loud bang echoing throughout the building.

Inuyasha staggered backward, collapsing to the ground.

Kagome instantly felt something snap inside of her, running out from her concealed spot with rage and terror etched into the lines on her face, whacking Naraku in the shoulders and neck with her metal rod. Both he and Koga fell forward, and Kagome swung again as hard as she could, hitting Naraku in the center of his back. He wheezed, and without thinking, she threw aside the rod, jumping for the gun in his hand. She heard her name being shouted multiple times, but it was muffled by the grunts and curses both she and her opponent omitted. With a jerk in the opposite direction, she got the gun from his grasp, her tied hands useless in supporting her body as she tried to scramble away belly down, but Naraku was now on top of her, his large, rough hands fighting for her to release the weapon. Unintentionally, Kagome squeezed, the gunshot and kickback from the pistol startling a yelp from her, but working in halting Naraku's attack for the smallest moment.

He clutched her hair and shoulder and spun her over, pinning her with bruising force and straddling her hips, his hands wrestling to grab the Glock from her, struggling against her never-ceasing wriggle to keep her hands above her head and away from him. Purposefully this time, she squeezed the trigger again, using the moment he flinched to aim the gun at his mouth.

_"Get off of me!"_ Kagome slowly commanded, her tone lethal. Her brown eyes were slanted deadly, but her trembling limbs betrayed her. The room was silent, or maybe her ears were working against her as well, a thumping sound riddling the sense. It wasn't until he gave his infamously taunting and overdone chuckle that she knew it was all in her head.

He crawled backward, and she tensed her core considerably to follow him, having to incorporate her elbow along the floor as she sat up tall. As soon as her legs were beneath her, Kagome rose to a stand, shakily ordering him to stay on his knees as her aim stayed glued to his mouth.

Naraku looked at the barrel, then to her, the curve finally leaving his thin lips to lay flat.

"How valiant of you, Kagome."

"Don't talk!" She demanded breathlessly, shaking her head, wild strands of dark hair falling in front of her shoulders and over her cheeks.

"Or else what? You'll shoot? You couldn't even hold the knife straight before, what makes you think you can kill me now?"

"Shut up!"

"You don't have the guts. You're nothing but a damsel in distress."

"Am I?" Kagome asked, taking a small step in and raising the Glock to the bridge of his bloody nose, the muzzle just inches from his sweaty skin.

Naraku closed his mouth, all traces of amusement completely vanished.

Inuyasha could see it, the glazing of her eyes, the paleness settling into the cheeks he'd just witnessed were red, the hollow of her throat as she struggled to take in actual breaths. Tears brimmed at her bottom lids but all other expression was disappearing from view. Her sights were set on Naraku, hardly blinking. She was moving past the point of rational thought. She was zoning.

Glancing to the side, Inuyasha noticed Koga watched the scene play as well, his lips parted and curved into a frown of concern. Holding that weapon, feeling the crushing weight of fear, her mind racing through horrible scenarios and which one was more likely to take place, rob her heart, break her spirit, he'd seen it before. Her fight or flight had completely taken over. It was telling her she wasn't safe, telling her she had no other choice. A wall was forming around her, one that would become thicker and thicker, almost impenetrable, the more seconds ticked by.

And Inuyasha could only hope he could get through that defense.

"Kagome." He started gently, leaning on his good arm to sit himself up completely.

Koga slowly rose to his feet, moving with absolute control, blue eyes set on the girl just feet away. Any fast movements could startle her, could cause her to do something she didn't want to do. He made sure to stay as silent as possible, allowing Inuyasha to be the voice of reason she needed.

"Kagome, it's okay now."

Their gazes never broke, and Inuyasha could tell Naraku's red irises were holding her captive with their silent and menacing threats.

"I need you to put the gun down, baby." He aimed his own pistol at Naraku in a way to take over, keeping his voice as soothing as his gruff tone allowed.

She shook her head as her face contorted, tears streaming down her cheeks while a feeble whimper escaped her lips. She wanted Inuyasha to keep talking, she wanted the constant reminder that Naraku hadn't succeeded in killing him, thinking if he stopped coaxing her she'd turn and find he was actually dead on the floor and it was nothing more than her mind playing evil tricks on her. At the same time, she was too afraid to comply.

"Come on, put it down. You don't need it."

A minor twitch. Still no response.

"Hey, I need you to listen, Kagome. Everything's fine now, trust me. Put the gun down."

"I can't." She cried, her shoulders heaving with her deep gasps for air.

He tried not to let out his sigh of relief, clenching it in his throat. It was obviously too soon to celebrate, but he was reaching her. _Thank god,_ he was reaching her.

"Yes, you can. Kagome. Look at me, baby."

"No, I can't!" She cried harder, voice breaking. "He's gonna do something!"

"I promise you, he won't. I've got a clear shot - if he moves, he's dead. Now look at me."

Kagome hesitated, scared he was wrong.

_"_ _Look at me."_

Finally, she shifted her gaze, her head unsteadily following her eyes as she fought against her instincts. As soon as she saw him, she nearly doubled over from the crushing sobs that left her lungs. His charcoal tee clung to his chest and shoulder, the large area soaked and deep in shade, blood beginning to drip down his left arm. He was sitting upright, his gun aimed at Naraku, ember eyes flickering back and forth from the criminal to her. He was alive. He was hurt, but he was alive.

Inuyasha smiled, finally letting out that alleviating huff. "That's my girl."

"You're okay?" She whimpered, still holding her aim.

"I'm fine." He said reassuringly. "Go ahead and put the gun down now, okay?"

"But-"

"Do you trust me?"

Kagome nodded, a faint _mhm_ on her breath.

"Good. Then you know for a fact that I won't let anything happen."

Kagome tried to gather herself, forcing her lungs to take deeper, more level inhales. Turning her head, she gazed back down at Naraku, her hands trembling along the grip. The man on his knees had deadpanned, his eyes locked on her from just above the barrel. She gave a small nod in acknowledgment to her half demon's statement, exhaling from her mouth and loosening her fingers. From her right, a large hand smoothed over the back of her own, slowly, gently reaching for the gun, a voice whispering as she flinched, "It's just me, it's just me." Kagome allowed Inuyasha's partner to take the pistol with no resistance, his arm snaking around her back to tuck her into his chest as he took his own aim on Naraku. His thumb grazed her shoulder where he clutched her firmly, doing his best to soothe her anxiety down. The vest he wore was thick and scratchy, but not uncomfortable, his inhales bringing the material to rub against her curled-in forearms and cheek and causing a physical sensation that helped bring Kagome back to the present.

She relaxed in his arms, shifting to look over her shoulder at Inuyasha. He held his pistol steady, ember eyes alight as his heavy breaths brought his body to sag in what seemed like relief.

Shuffling feet reached their ears, a woman calling Koga's name, and he bellowed, "We're here!" in response. "We have an officer down! Call a medic!"

More commotion broke through as it sounded like multiple people were on the way to them, Sango leading the pack as she curved through the opening in the makeshift wall with her Glock aimed at the floor. She took in the scene, her brown eyes wide from shock, scouring the area with a shake of her head as she immediately ran to Inuyasha's side. Hojo, who was right behind her, pulled a pair of handcuffs from his backside, kneeling down to secure Naraku's wrists behind his back, Koga never lowering his pistol until he heard the tight clicks of both cuffs locking into place.

It was finally over.

Sango pressed both palms to Inuyasha's wound, glaring at him as he huffed and tried to push her off so he could stand.

"Stop! You know better!" She barked, applying additional pressure to the wound until he winced and sat back; the only way she knew to get him to comply.

Inuyasha rolled his head to the side, glancing over at the girl in Koga's arms. She watched him, worry creasing her brow and creating the pout on her lips. The wolf demon went to guide her away, out of the warehouse she'd been held captive in for too long, but she resisted, recoiling to leave Koga's hold to join Inuyasha on the cold floor. His partner didn't lose his grip, and Inuyasha's sensitive ears caught his low tone trying to persuade her away, using the word "temporary" multiple times.

Though she didn't fight Koga, knowing she needed to listen to him right now and let everyone do their jobs, her deep, brown eyes never left her half demon. As each step took her further away from him, she felt scared, twisting her body to keep sight of him. Inuyasha cocked a small smile at her, and she knew he was covering his discomfort.

Then he spoke, and though she'd just heard it not even a minute ago, a warmth rushed through her veins as his husky voice said, "It's okay, baby. Go."

Outside, the cinch was cut from her wrists, a hiss sliding over her tongue as her face contorted, blood quickly making its way through once again. The skin was red and irritated, more so at the base of the heels of her palms where all the pressure was focused each time she tried to squirm her way out, indents decorating the entire area. There were broken blood vessels dotting the surface, and even a spot where her skin had inadvertently broken. The medics cleaned it up and bandaged the small cut while she sat on the tail of the ambulance.

"I don't need to go to the fucking hospital." Inuyasha groaned, the EMT pressing gauze to the wound on his shoulder. "Just tape it up so I can leave."

"Actually, the bullet didn't pass through."

"What?"

"It wasn't a clean shot." The first responder stated, examining it beneath the absorbing material to see that the bleeding was slowing. "It's still in there. We need to get it out, which means you're going to the hospital."

"Just stick your finger in there and pull it out." The half demon arched a brow.

The medic paused, concerned, looking up in question at his captain.

"Yes, he is always like this. I'm sorry." Totosai frowned. "You're going, Inuyasha. That's final."

He huffed, the sound rough and exaggerated as he caved, too tired to battle the order, and leaned back against the wall. His shirt had been cut off of him to make his bullet wound accessible without straining his shoulder by lifting it over his head, the remnants of the tee on the floor beside him. They'd cleaned the surrounding skin of the mess of blood, thankfully, imagining the gory sight holding the potential to traumatize Kagome even further.

"Fine. I'm not going out on a gurney, though." He tried not to flinch as the EMT taped fresh gauze to the hole in his deltoid, extending over his clavicle and part of his pectoral. "And, I want to see Kagome first." His voice had unintentionally dropped an octave, losing its harsh edge.

It was more of a necessity than a desire. He _needed_ a moment with her, and everyone's nod told him they understood that just as well as anyone. Sango held her hand out for him to take, helping him to his feet with her stained palms. They were dried, but just in case, he wiped them on his jeans and headed out.

He hadn't expected the way his feet carried him faster and faster toward the door, almost at a run, ignoring the pinch in his shoulder that would most likely be completely healed in two days. The pain was nothing compared to the boiling uneasiness in his core due to the separation from her. His adrenaline was still high, ember eyes drifting over the surrounding area and hubbub of officers and detectives, two emergency busses parked off toward the fence he and Koga had entered through. He headed in their direction, jogging now, his heart leaping in his chest as he spotted her sitting next to Koga on the tail. There was a blanket wrapped around her and her eyes were at half mass, staring at the rocks on the ground, her legs bobbing uncontrollably from the angle she'd propped them in.

Glancing up, those hopeful eyes landed on him, widening as she immediately jolted from her seat, throwing the blanket from her shoulders and running over to him. It was easy not to pay any mind to the throb in his arm as he skidded to a stop, grasping the breathless woman and silencing her sobbing apologies by crushing his lips to hers.

"You're so stupid!" He kissed her again. "God, you're so stupid! Why would you do that? Why would you leave?"

"I'm sorry!" She cried, fingers twitching against his bare sides.

"Are you okay?" He pressed their foreheads solidly together, a hand threaded through her thick waves at the back of her head. The heat of her skin washed over him, and he found he, himself, was trembling almost as badly as she. "I was so fucking scared, Kagome, tell me he didn't do anything to you!"

"I'm sorry! I love you! I'm okay! Nothing happened!" She said quickly, panting.

"Fuck." Inuyasha kissed her again and again, parting just enough to look to her for further reassurance.

"I swear. He hardly touched me."

The half demon parted her bangs, inspecting the welt on the side of her head, his fingers traveling over the green and yellow mark on her cheek, and landing at the crook of her jaw, planting one last, sweet kiss on her lips before clutching her into his chest, breathing her in before he inevitably had to let go.

He could already see his own, personal medic waiting for him at the side of his ambulance. He was being patient, but Inuyasha knew the sooner he got this over with, the sooner he could get Kagome home to his place and tend to her. He hugged her a little tighter for a moment, kissing the top of her head before curving to whisper in her ear.

"I have to go to the hospital, okay? Should be quick, they've just gotta take care of this injury." He looked up to scout out his partner, unsurprised to see the wolf demon standing not too far off, watching them, waiting for his cue with his arms crossed. Inuyasha gestured for him to come over, loosening his grip on Kagome and wiping the one stray tear just below her eye that hadn't dried. "Go with Koga."

Ember irises met the gleam of his partner's baby blues - he'd always teased that his eyes were a little too girlish for his build - and they clasped hands, bringing the other in for a firm shoulder bump, a silent thank you for all he'd done for Kagome thus far.

"We'll be right behind you." The wolf mentioned, taking up Kagome's side. Inuyasha nodded, glancing back at her, running his thumb over the brown stain on her chin.

"See you soon."

"Yeah. Soon."

Just as Inuyasha went to step away, a police vehicle approached to leave the gates. As it slowly rolled past, the gravel cracking beneath its tires, Naraku peered through the backseat, arms still restrained behind him. His lips pulled tight into a menacing grin, bringing an icy chill to crawl down Kagome's spine. She and Inuyasha followed the black and white car with their eyes, watching it meet the pavement, driving off toward town and disappearing from sight.

**Three months later**

_"In the matter of The People V. Byakuya Saisei, how do you find?"_

_"We find the defendant, Byakuya Saisei, guilty your honor."_

_There was a collective sigh throughout the courtroom. Kagome's mother, who had been squeezing the life out of her hand, deflating when she heard one of the assaulters would be spending up to twenty-five years in prison. Kagome glanced to her left towards the defendant's table where he sat, Byakuya receiving sympathetic pats on his back from his attorney. Behind him were his parents, his mother in shambles while his father sagged in utter disappointment. Their son didn't bother to look back at them in apology. According to his confessions, he resented them and even almost blamed them for his decision to aid his brother in everything._

_The room ceased its stirring as the judge slammed her gavel down three times, the old woman's voice demanding everyone's attention as she gave her closing statements. Byakuya was sentenced without the chance of parole, and Naraku, whom Kagome had only had to encounter once since trials began and was not currently present, was reassigned and transferred to a high-risk penitentiary to live out the rest of his days under deliberate and watchful security and isolation when necessary. With a thankful dismissal of the jury, the judge slammed her gavel once more, stating court was adjourned._

"Are we done yet?" Inuyasha groaned, trudging along at Kagome's side, her feet working a little faster than his to keep pace with his longer strides on the sidewalk. She lifted the small, frilly-wrapped package in her hands, white spiral ribbons splaying over her fingers.

"Does it look like we're done?" She cocked her head to the side, arching a brow. "Come on, this is the last one!"

"I still don't think Koga should have received anything." He huffed.

"He helped just as much as anyone."

"Eh." Inuyasha grimaced, shrugging wanly. "He was moral support."

Kagome rolled her eyes, giggling lightly as she reached for the handle of one of the glass doors, only pulling it open an inch or two before Inuyasha reached over her head and took over, holding it for her as she passed through. She paid him a silent regard, smiling gratefully as she entered into the flower shop.

Her heart began to pound. She knew this whole thing would be good for her in the end. Her therapist had mentioned that she should get closure for everything that had happened, and one of the ways they discussed was giving thanks to the people who'd helped her get through it all. Still, the last time she was here, she'd been running for her life, and the mind had an awful way of making her trip down memory lane feel more dire than it currently was. Inuyasha's shoulder brushed hers, and she glanced up at him. His silver bangs hung off his forehead with the tilt he held it at, a shimmer of sun shining through the far off window catching a small section of the fringe, illuminating the soft tones of his natural color.

"Good morning - oh!" The raspy voice of an elderly woman spoke, catching both of their attention. Kagome noticed the thin woman behind the counter, her grey hair tied behind her neck in a very loose bun, eyes wide and lined with age. Kagome walked further in to greet the woman, stopping before the mid-sized table separating them. "You're that girl from the news! Jinenji's mentioned you, too. Says he knows you."

Their case had been all over the news stations, most of which following the tedious and meticulous trial from the arrest up until the verdict was made last week. Though their faces weren't in the papers as much as Naraku's and Byakuya's, they'd incidentally been given the spotlight on television - her a little more than Inuyasha considering the amount of her involvement - far more than they'd ever liked. Not many people reacted to seeing her anymore, especially since the marks had long faded and Inuyasha proved to be a lethal bodyguard toward lingering cameramen, but mostly because the popularity these sorts of trials build only last so long. There was the climax of the testimonials that brought a lot of attention, but even before last week, all of their focus was centered on the sentencing of the criminals. Nevertheless, being recognized still caused Kagome to stiffen uncomfortably, though she'd admit she much preferred "that girl" to everyone knowing her name again.

In reply, she swallowed her embarrassment, smiling politely with a slight nod. "Uh, yeah."

"And you," The old lady redirected her gaze to Inuyasha, angling her chin according to their height difference. "You're that half demon."

She was rather blunt as she spoke, showing what could be mistaken for bitterness. Kagome couldn't bite back the way her face twisted into a slight scowl, upset for the way he'd been greeted.

"Relax, I don't mean that as a slander. You've done us all a favor and shown other half breeds that you don't have to be full-blooded _anything_ to be _something_." She said, the lines on her cheeks pulling upward with her smile. "My boy, the owner of this shop here, is a half demon himself."

Kagome softened at the information, happy for the praise Inuyasha deserved, glancing up as he nodded stiffly in acknowledgment, running his hands through the short, freshly-cut hair at the back of his head, his cheeks brushed lightly with pink. He brought his hand to rest at the small of Kagome's back, the straight, silver strands smoothly flowing back to their rightful place along his crown.

"Is Jinenji here?" She asked. His mother pointed to the doorway in the far left corner, sitting back in her chair with a pleasant expression.

Kagome lead the way, the scents of the radiantly-red roses they passed almost demanding her to stop and smell them. Jinenji had his back turned toward them, his large body curved and hunched as he tended to his work. She gave a light rasp to the frame she stood in, watching as the gentle giant turned to peek over his shoulder. He jumped, those large blue eyes alight with shock as he spun around, almost bumping his head on the ceiling.

"Hi." Kagome smiled happily.

"It's you." The big half demon grinned. "You're - you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." She admitted, almost shying away. He'd seen her fresh from Byakuya's attack. The image of her locked in his memory must have been her battered and tearful face. She could understand that not even news reports could take the place of real life witnessing. Kagome held out the small gift in her hand. "This is for you."

"For me? What for?" Jinenji asked bashfully, taking the package in his fingers and making it look even tinier than it actually was.

"You helped me when you didn't have to. It's not much, but it's my way of saying thank you."

"I - I was happy to do whatever I could."

"And I appreciate it. More than you'll ever know. They're brownies, I made them myself." Kagome stood taller, her hands clasped in front of her. Jinenji thanked her, his voice soft, accepting her gift as he pulled at one of the white ribbons to untie the knot.

Kagome turned, reaching for Inuyasha to bring him beside her as opposed to standing behind. He took her hand, his fingers entwining through her own, a tender manner about himself as he looked at the man before them.

"This is my boyfriend, Inuyasha. Inuyasha, this is Jinenji. He's the one that saved me that night."

Inuyasha held his free hand out to shake Jinenji's, the sizes of their palms incomparable, but the message spoke just as powerfully. "Thank you. For all that you did."

"I didn't do much."

"But it meant everything."


End file.
